Russian firm hijacks Bluesky accounts

In April and May, hundreds of Bluesky users discovered their accounts hijacked to spread content about Ukraine.Clemson University researchers attributed the campaign to the Social Design Agency, a Russian consulting firm sanctioned by the U.S.

Leaked documents reveal broader SDA operations

Leaked documents obtained by Delfi Estonia and shared with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project revealed the Social Design Agency's plans for real-world vandalism, intimidation, and election interference beyond the Bluesky campaign.

Full-spectrum propaganda is the new norm

Sophisticated states like China, Iran and Russia combine overt public messaging with covert influence across broadcast channels and social media.

Multiple channels reinforce the same narrative

In full-spectrum propaganda, different channels reinforce each other, making narratives seem more credible and allowing them to spread wider. A story on state media reaches one audience while social media accounts catch another.

AI makes propaganda campaigns far more powerful

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is making full-spectrum propaganda even more powerful.States are integrating AI into every level of their propaganda operations, allowing small groups to conduct campaigns that previously required far greater resources.

SDA's fake video reaches 86 million views

In June 2025, the Social Design Agency created a fake video branded as Saudi outlet Al Arabiya claiming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky purchased a luxury apartment in Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

SDA targets Hungarian prime minister's reelection

Earlier in 2025, the Kremlin wanted to support Viktor Orban's reelection bid as Hungary's prime minister.

Severed pig heads staged as cognitive strikes

In September 2025, severed pig heads marked Macron were left outside mosques in Paris.Leaked Social Design Agency files reveal meticulous plans behind the effort.

Kremlin allocates 367 million to RT broadcaster

In 2025, the Kremlin allocated thirty-one billion rubles, or three hundred sixty-seven million dollars, to RT, the Russian state broadcaster.

RT funnels 10 million to U.S. media outlet

In 2024, the U.S.Department of Justice indicted two RT employees for funneling nearly ten million dollars to Tenet Media, a right-wing U.S.media outlet.

Repetition makes false narratives seem credible

Research in psychology shows repetition reinforces belief. A narrative seems more believable when it appears in multiple distinct places or when many seemingly unconnected people start talking about it independently.

Propaganda migrates between platforms easily

Integrated propaganda campaigns evade crackdowns by migrating to platforms with more permissible policies. When Twitter removed deceptive content about a Ukrainian maternity hospital in March 2022, anonymous Telegram channels spread the false narrative there instead.

China and Iran use AI agents for propaganda

An investigation by The New York Times revealed that China and Iran have used Chinese open-source models to run propaganda campaigns through AI agents with limited human supervision.

Russia uses Claude to translate propaganda content

Anthropic found that Russian state media used its AI model Claude to turn Romanian and Moldovan news into Russian-language articles. This shows how states can easily translate content without needing linguistic expertise.

Meta cuts research access and integrity staff

In May, Meta laid off ten percent of its workforce, including members of its investigations team instrumental in combating online influence operations.In 2024, Meta eliminated CrowdTangle, a transparency tool researchers used to access public posts.

X charges researchers 42,000 per month for data

In 2023, Twitter, now known as X, ended free access to its API for researchers.

Trump closes Foreign Malign Influence Center

In August 2025, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard closed the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which coordinated the intelligence community's analysis of foreign interference. The FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force was also shut down.

State Department dismantles counter-influence offices

Congress failed to extend the mandate for the State Department's Global Engagement Center, set up in 2016 to track propaganda from China, Iran, Russia and other foreign actors.

U.S. loses capacity to understand adversary threats

The destruction of these institutions has created a huge gap in knowledge available to Washington about what China, Iran and Russia are doing.

“too little capacity remains to track or disrupt covert campaigns run by adversaries of the United States”

America faces AI-enhanced propaganda with no defense

Foreign adversaries are expanding integrated operations involving AI systems that autonomously create fake news outlets, generate content and disseminate it through multiple channels. Without capacity to understand the threat, Washington cannot begin to counter it.