All articles tagged with #disinformation
OpenAI reported on October 8 that it banned two sophisticated influence operations using ChatGPT to spread propaganda. The Russian campaign, dubbed 'Dark Clark,' targeted Latin America through a fake think tank, while the Iranian operation used fake journalist personas to plant articles in Western media. OpenAI rated the Russian effort as its most complex disruption to date.
The US State Department pressured the EU, Canada, and Lithuania to withdraw sponsorship from the #Disinfo2026 conference in Vilnius after organizers included panels labeling the US as a foreign information manipulation threat. While Washington called this a 'false equivalence' to adversaries like Russia, allies cited misalignment with official positions. France remains the only government sponsor, highlighting a widening transatlantic rift over information integrity.
The US State Department pressured multiple governments to withdraw sponsorship from the #Disinfo2026 conference in Vilnius, Lithuania. Canada, Lithuania, and the EU’s diplomatic service removed their logos after the event included panels framing the US as a foreign information manipulation threat. France remains the sole government sponsor, while the US argues the terminology is inappropriate for an ally.
CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale marks a decade of tracking Donald Trump’s false claims, documenting over 8,500 falsehoods since 2016. Dale identifies recurring patterns in Trump’s dishonesty, including a surge in lies during political crises and the use of fabricated anecdotes to project dominance. While the volume of disinformation has overwhelmed mainstream newsrooms, Dale argues that millions of Americans still seek accurate information, and that Trump’s lies have caused tangible harm to democracy, public health, and safety.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has established a National Centre for Information Defence to counter what he described as an 'industrial-scale assault' by Russia on the UK's information environment. While Burnham highlighted Russian efforts to spread fake videos and interfere in elections, critics argue he ignored the role of US tech platforms and domestic extremists in amplifying such content. BBC Verify has documented numerous Russian-linked campaigns, including AI-cloned voices and fake news sites, though the real-world impact of these operations remains difficult to measure.
Anthropic says a Russia-linked group used Claude AI to automate cyberattacks against Ukrainian and European targets, run disinformation campaigns in Africa and Moldova, and develop autonomous kamikaze drone software; the company blocked the misuse, strengthened its security, and shared findings with governments and industry partners.
Democrats unveiled the New Battlefield Project to train tens of thousands of volunteers across 57 states and territories to monitor polling places (aiming for about 25% of sites), deter voter intimidation, push for early voting, and launch a democracy-defense network to counter disinformation as they brace for anticipated interference from Donald Trump and allies in the 2026 midterms.
A Kremlin-backed operation known as Matryoshka is circulating doctored selfie videos that appear to feature AI-cloned voices of Hollywood stars, overlaid with unauthorized CNN branding to urge viewers to vote Republican in the U.S. midterms. The clips target Democrats and leverage bot networks and social media to sow distrust; researchers flagged the content, some platforms have removed it, and experts say the effort, while not yet virally successful, signals a continued Kremlin strategy to influence elections.
False rumors circulating on social media that men’s genitals vanish after a tap on the shoulder have sparked mob violence across six African countries, killing more than 80 people since October last year; videos and posts on TikTok and Facebook fueled panic from Tanzania and Zambia to Mozambique, Kenya and Malawi, with some victims lynched or burned before authorities intervened. Experts say superstition and fear, amplified by smartphones, make unverified claims seem credible, while officials warn engagement-driven content worsens the problem and campaigns to counter misinformation are under way; some health experts cite Koro syndrome as a possible explanation for the fear, but there is no medical evidence supporting the genital-loss claims.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused Israel and Russia of spreading online disinformation about Spain's border policy after a mass migrant surge into Ceuta, where more than 72,000 people arrived in two days and at least 100 died; EU officials said Russia attempted to exploit the crisis online but offered no conclusive evidence, while Israel denied involvement and tensions with both countries have grown amid Gaza and Ukraine issues.
Ceuta residents destroyed migrant shelters amid a massive migrant spike from Morocco (over 72,000 crossings) and at least 100 deaths; Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused Russian- and Israeli-linked networks of spreading disinformation that fueled the crisis, highlighting cross-border tensions with Morocco and the broader politics around Europe’s migration challenges.
Locals in Ceuta torched and destroyed migrant shelters amid a massive surge of arrivals from Morocco. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Russia- and Israel-linked networks were spreading disinformation to exploit the crisis, a claim rejected by Moscow and Tel Aviv. Morocco denied involvement. The unrest follows a July surge that saw tens of thousands cross, with at least 100 deaths reported and about 5,000 migrants remaining in Ceuta, prompting Italy to extend temporary Schengen measures as security deployments increased.
Spain’s PM Pedro Sánchez says there’s no evidence Moroccan authorities orchestrated the Ceuta border breach and accuses Israel and Russia of spreading disinformation; the July crisis left up to 141 dead, drew about 70,000 migrants, and left around 5,000 still in Ceuta (including 1,200 minors), prompting calls for greater cooperation and a plan to boost reception capacity.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said there are signs Russia and Israel spread disinformation about Madrid’s migration policy during the Ceuta border crisis, though there is no evidence of Moroccan involvement; EU EEAS researchers linked Russian and Israeli networks with far-right groups seeking to criticize Spain over Ukraine and Gaza. The July 30–31 surge saw about 72,000 irregular migrants cross from Morocco, triggering protests and a deadly crossing, while Madrid announced an additional €168 million to revive Ceuta’s economy after about €180 million pledged previously. Authorities also reported arrests of three Moroccans linked to attacks on security forces.
Documents leaked from the State Department’s Global Engagement Center are claimed by supporters to prove domestic censorship, but two former GEC officials say the materials show no such thing, instead reflecting a partisan fight over a foreign-disinformation office that operated abroad. The GEC was shuttered in 2025 and its work folded into other channels, while the State Department is pursuing an $11 million Southeast Asia influencer campaign to counter Chinese propaganda. Critics argue the leak shows weaponization of information, but the ex-officials insist the GEC never targeted Americans and focused on foreign actors.