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Cyber-based hostile influence campaigns 6th - 12th April 2026
- CRC
- Apr 16
- 26 min read
Updated: Apr 28
[Introduction]
Cyber-based hostile influence campaigns are aimed at influencing target audiences by promoting information and/or disinformation over the internet, sometimes combined with cyber-attacks which enhance their effect (hence force Cyfluence, as opposed to cyber-attacks that aim to steal information, extort money, etc.) Such hostile influence campaigns and operations can be considered an epistemological branch of Information Operations (IO) or Information Warfare (IW).
Typically, and as customary during the last decade, the information is spread throughout various internet platforms, which are the different elements of the hostile influence campaign, and as such, connectivity and repetitiveness of content between several elements are the main core characteristics of influence campaigns.
Hostile influence campaigns, much like Cyber-attacks, have also become a tool for rival nations and corporations to damage reputation or achieve various business, political or ideological goals. Much like in the cyber security arena, PR professionals and government agencies are responding to negative publicity and disinformation shared over the news and social media.
We use the term cyber based hostile influence campaigns, as we include in this definition also cyber-attacks aimed at influencing (such as hack and leak during election time), while we exclude of this term other types of more traditional kinds of influence such as diplomatic, economic, military etc.
During the 06th to the 12th of April 2026, we observed, collected and analyzed endpoints of information related to cyber based hostile influence campaigns (including Cyfluence attacks). The following report is a summary of what we regard as the main events. Some of the mentioned campaigns have to do with social media and news outlets solemnly, while others leverage cyber-attack capabilities.
[Contents]
[State Actors]
Russia
The War in Ukraine
China
Iran
[AI Related Articles]
[General Reports]
[Appendix - Frameworks to Counter Disinformation]
[ Report Highlights]
An essay by ISW described a long-term disinformation strategy in which the Kremlin is building a global media network to shape international narratives.
As reported by NewsGuard's Reality Check, ahead of Hungary’s pivotal parliamentary election, coordinated misinformation campaigns are using AI-generated "slop" content and low-grade Russian disinformation to reinforce Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s campaign messaging and undermine the opposition led by Péter Magyar.
According to an article by PressOne.PH, a coordinated network of fake Facebook accounts and pro-Duterte influencers amplified attacks by the Chinese Embassy in Manila against the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), following PCIJ’s reporting on pro-Beijing influence operations in the country.
As published by The Jamestown Foundation, disinformation played a central role in shaping narratives about the Iran war, particularly through Chinese state media.
An article by The New York Times highlighted how AI-generated search summaries, such as Google’s "AI Overviews", can contribute to the spread of misleading or inaccurate information.
A report by The European Commission argued that Europe’s democratic resilience is being weakened by an information environment shaped by the "attention economy", in which digital platforms prioritize engagement and advertising revenue over accuracy and public interest.
The U.S. budget document characterizes certain international organizations and programs as sources of biased narratives and coordinated information influence that it frames as disinformation undermining U.S. interests.
[ Report Summary]
An essay by ISW described a long-term disinformation strategy in which the Kremlin is building a global media network to shape international narratives.
An article by DFR Lab exposed a disinformation strategy in which pro-Kremlin networks, such as the Pravda system, flood the internet with propaganda to influence how AI models learn and respond.
As published by DFR Lab, a Morocco-based YouTube channel, ODC TV, acts as a platform for disinformation by broadcasting pro-Kremlin narratives to French-speaking audiences, including within the EU.
According to an article by the Atlantic Council, propaganda plays a key role in sustaining Russian military recruitment in Ukraine, beyond financial incentives or coercion.
Stop Fake’s report revealed a clear case of disinformation in a report claiming that Iran attacked the USS Tripoli.
A Telegram report by the SPRAVDI Center for Strategic Communications described disinformation efforts in which actors linked to the Kremlin attempt to influence Arab public opinion about Ukraine by purchasing placements on popular Telegram channels.
According to an article by EU VS Disinfo, recent pro-Kremlin disinformation campaigns focused on portraying Ukraine as a danger to the Baltic states, interfering in European elections, and pressuring the EU to reverse its energy sanctions on Russia.
As reported by NewsGuard's Reality Check, ahead of Hungary’s pivotal parliamentary election, coordinated misinformation campaigns are using AI-generated "slop" content and low-grade Russian disinformation to reinforce Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s campaign messaging and undermine the opposition led by Péter Magyar.
According to an article by PressOne.PH, a coordinated network of fake Facebook accounts and pro-Duterte influencers amplified attacks by the Chinese Embassy in Manila against the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), following PCIJ’s reporting on pro-Beijing influence operations in the country.
As published by The Jamestown Foundation, disinformation played a central role in shaping narratives about the Iran war, particularly through Chinese state media.
NewsGuard’s Reality Check reported a disinformation campaign in which pro-Iran social media users circulated a video falsely claiming it showed Iranian forces capturing a U.S. pilot after an F-15E jet was shot down on 03th of April 2026.
As revealed by NewsGuard’s Reality Check, as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign, pro-Iran social media users used AI-generated images and videos to manipulate perceptions of key political leaders during wartime.
A report by NewsGuard's Reality Check highlighted a recurring disinformation pattern in which Iran publicly threatens specific targets and pro-Iran social media accounts then falsely claim that those targets were successfully struck, even when no such attacks occurred.
According to NewsGuard’s publication, disinformation has spread rapidly during the Iran war, with at least 69 false claims gaining hundreds of millions of views in less than a month.
According to an article by The Conversation, we are experiencing a growing wave of disinformation known as "slopaganda", where AI-generated or misleading content is used for propaganda purposes.
As highlighted in a DFR Lab report, a sophisticated form of disinformation in which pro-Kremlin networks flood the internet with AI-generated propaganda to influence how large language models are trained.
According to research by Hybrid CoE, China and Russia are increasingly using artificial intelligence to enhance disinformation and influence operations abroad.
According to a report by TechXplore, the increasing role of AI chatbots in spreading harmful and misleading information, especially among vulnerable users like children.
An article by The New York Times highlighted how AI-generated search summaries, such as Google’s "AI Overviews", can contribute to the spread of misleading or inaccurate information.
According to a report by EU Disinfo Lab, the disinformation landscape in Spain is complex and rapidly evolving, as false narratives are often triggered by major events such as natural disasters and geopolitical tensions.
A NATO report highlighted that modern security threats increasingly rely on disinformation and propaganda to influence public opinion and decision-making.
A report by NewsGuard's Reality Check debunked claims that CNN fabricated an Iranian statement regarding the April 2026 U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
According to an article by The Washington Post, a Republican-aligned political action committee in Virginia, Democracy and Justice, is facing criticism for a mailer campaign that uses Ku Klux Klan imagery, civil rights symbolism, and old quotes from Barack Obama and Governor Abigail Spanberger to target Black voters ahead of the state’s 21st of April redistricting referendum.
As reported by CyberNews, Elon Musk’s xAI has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block Colorado’s new AI law, arguing that the law violates the First Amendment by compelling developers to redesign systems, such as its chatbot Grok, to reflect the state’s preferred views on fairness, diversity, and discrimination.
Check First, in partnership with the French training organization Samsa, developed an immersive one-day workshop to help journalists identify foreign information manipulation, disinformation campaigns, and coordinated inauthentic behavior in an electoral context.
A report by The European Commission argued that Europe’s democratic resilience is being weakened by an information environment shaped by the "attention economy", in which digital platforms prioritize engagement and advertising revenue over accuracy and public interest.
The U.S. budget document characterizes certain international organizations and programs as sources of biased narratives and coordinated information influence that it frames as disinformation undermining U.S. interests.
[State Actors]
Russia
Global Expansion of Kremlin Disinformation Network
An essay by ISW described a long-term disinformation strategy in which the Kremlin is building a global media network to shape international narratives. By forming partnerships with foreign media outlets, expanding multilingual services, and distributing state-produced content, Russia aims to embed its narratives into local information ecosystems. This effort is part of a broader "cognitive warfare" approach, designed to influence public opinion and affect decision-making in other countries.
A key component of this strategy is the cultivation of a global network of journalists trained through Russian-backed programs. These initiatives, along with collaborations with universities and media organizations, help spread pro-Kremlin narratives in a way that appears locally credible. At the same time, disinformation is amplified through both traditional media and digital platforms, including Telegram networks and influencers, enabling coordinated messaging across regions and languages. While Russia has faced resistance and restrictions, especially in Western countries, it continues to expand its influence in regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Source: Institute for the Study of War. The Kremlin’s Expanding Media Conglomerate. [online] Published 15 January 2020. Available at: https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/kremlin%E2%80%99s-expanding-media-conglomerate/
AI Poisoning in Large Language Models
An article by DFR Lab exposed a disinformation strategy in which pro-Kremlin networks, such as the Pravda system, flood the internet with propaganda to influence how AI models learn and respond. This tactic, known as "AI poisoning", aims to embed false or biased narratives directly into training data used by large language models (LLMs). Unlike surface-level manipulation, this approach is more dangerous because once disinformation is absorbed into a model, it becomes difficult and costly to remove.
Research showed that propaganda from sources like Pravda and Russian state media has already entered widely used datasets such as Common Crawl, which feeds many AI systems. In some cases, models were able to reproduce false narratives, such as conspiracy claims about U.S.-Ukrainian biolabs, almost word for word. This demonstrates how disinformation can be internalized and later presented as credible information, potentially misleading users on a large scale.
The broader risk is that AI systems themselves may become tools for spreading disinformation if their training data is compromised. While not all influence efforts succeed, those that do can have long-lasting effects by shaping how AI interprets and presents information. As propaganda networks continue to expand their output, the threat of AI-driven disinformation is likely to grow, highlighting the need for better data filtering and oversight in AI development.
Source: DFRLab. Pravda in the pipeline: Early evidence of state-adjacent propaganda in AI training data. [online] Published April 2026. Available at: https://dfrlab.org/2026/04/08/pravda-in-the-pipeline/
Kremlin Disinformation Networks Targeting French-Speaking Audiences
As published by DFR Lab, a Morocco-based YouTube channel, ODC TV acts as a platform for disinformation by broadcasting pro-Kremlin narratives and sanctioned Russian figures to French-speaking audiences, including within the EU. Despite sanctions, the channel remains accessible and has gained significant reach, hosting individuals linked to Russian propaganda, far-right extremism, and influence operations. Through documentaries and interviews, it promotes narratives aligned with Kremlin ideology, particularly regarding the war in Ukraine.
A central feature of the channel’s content is the spread of misleading and false claims. Its videos present biased interpretations of events, such as portraying Russia’s actions in Ukraine as justified or suggesting Western conspiracies behind major incidents like the Moscow terror attack. The inclusion of conspiracy theorists and extremist figures further amplifies disinformation and polarizing content. The channel demonstrates how disinformation ecosystems operate across borders by using alternative platforms, multilingual content, and third-country intermediaries.
Source: DFRLab. Morocco-based YouTube channel acts as French-language proxy for sanctioned Kremlin propagandists. [online] Published 10 April 2026. Available at: https://dfrlab.org/2026/04/10/morocco-based-youtube-channel-acts-as-french-language-proxy-for-sanctioned-kremlin-propagandists/
Propaganda as Driver of Russian Military Recruitment
According to an article by the Atlantic Council, propaganda plays a key role in sustaining Russian military recruitment in Ukraine, beyond financial incentives or coercion. Although enlistment bonuses have declined, many soldiers still volunteer, suggesting that belief in state narratives significantly influences their decision to fight.
Research on Russian prisoners of war shows a strong link between exposure to propaganda and support for the invasion. Soldiers who accept Kremlin narratives are far more likely to view the war as legitimate, dehumanize Ukrainians, and express willingness to return to combat. These narratives, including the "Russian World" ideology, rely on false information to justify violence and reinforce loyalty. propaganda strengthens military resilience and prolongs conflict, acting as a force multiplier that helps sustain Russia’s war effort despite heavy losses.
Source: Atlantic Council. Recognizing the role of propaganda in Russia’s infrastructure of aggression. [online] Published 9 April 2026. Available at: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/recognizing-the-role-of-propaganda-in-russias-infrastructure-of-aggression
Disinformation in Reporting on Alleged Attack on USS Tripoli
Stop Fake’s report revealed a clear case of disinformation in a report claiming that Iran attacked the USS Tripoli. The claim, based on statements from the Iranian military and amplified by TASS, alleges that the ship was struck and forced to retreat. However, the report contains internal contradictions about the ship’s supposed location and retreat route, suggesting a lack of factual consistency and reliability.
Verified information from U.S. Central Command directly contradicts these claims, confirming that the USS Tripoli was not attacked and continues to operate normally in the Arabian Sea. The false narrative appears to exaggerate or fabricate a military success, presenting misleading information about events that did not occur.
Source: StopFake. ТАСС повторил фейк КСИР об ударе по американскому кораблю с 5000 моряков и морпехов на борту. [online] Published 8 April 2026. Available at: https://www.stopfake.org/ru/tass-povtoril-fejk-ksir-ob-udare-po-amerikanskomu-korablyu-s-5000-moryakov-i-morpehov-na-bortu/
The War in Ukraine
Disinformation Campaign Targeting Arab Media
A Telegram report by the SPRAVDI Center for Strategic Communications described disinformation efforts in which actors linked to the Kremlin attempt to influence Arab public opinion about Ukraine by purchasing placements on popular Telegram channels. Channel owners are reportedly approached with ready-made anti-Ukrainian videos and asked to publish them as if they were legitimate news content.
This strategy relies on disguising coordinated propaganda as organic, locally sourced information. By outsourcing distribution to trusted regional influencers, the campaign seeks to increase credibility and obscure the original source of the content. The broader objective of this disinformation campaign is to weaken trust in Ukraine across the Arab world, particularly at a time when Ukraine is strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with Gulf states.
Source: SPRAVDI. Telegram post. [online] n.d. Available at: https://t.me/spravdi/54328?embed=1
Recent Kremlin Disinformation Campaigns Against Ukraine and the EU
According to an article by EU VS Disinfo, recent pro-Kremlin disinformation campaigns focused on portraying Ukraine as a danger to the Baltic states, interfering in European elections, and pressuring the EU to reverse its energy sanctions on Russia. One of the main false narratives claimed that Ukraine’s strikes on Russian Baltic ports could provoke Russia into attacking the Baltic states and even trigger nuclear escalation. This allegation was based on already debunked reports that Ukrainian drones had flown over Baltic territory.
At the same time, Russian FIMI operations intensified around upcoming parliamentary elections in several EU countries, including Bulgaria and Hungary, as well as in Armenia. Other narratives portraying Europe as dependent on Russian energy supplies have been a persistent feature of the information space since the outbreak of the conflict in Iran. They are often paired with the claim of an impending European economic crisis, aiming to promote the lifting of European sanctions on Russian oil trade.
Source: EUvsDisinfo. The Kremlin points at Ukraine as a threat for the Baltic states, and accuses the EU with meddling in upcoming elections. [online] Published 2 April 2026. Available at: https://euvsdisinfo.eu/the-kremlin-points-at-ukraine-as-a-threat-for-the-baltic-states-and-accuses-the-eu-with-meddling-in-upcoming-elections/
AI Slop Ahead of Hungary’s Crucial Election
As reported by NewsGuard's Reality Check, ahead of Hungary’s pivotal parliamentary election, coordinated misinformation campaigns are using AI-generated "slop" content and low-grade Russian disinformation to reinforce Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s campaign messaging and undermine the opposition led by Péter Magyar. Although much of the content appears absurd, such as AI-generated videos featuring talking fruits, vegetables, and cartoon characters, the report argued that its purpose is not to persuade directly, but to normalize false associations and spread emotionally charged narratives through algorithm-friendly social media content. These campaigns aim to plant recurring ideas, such as Ukraine as a dangerous, Brussels as unaccountable, and the opposition as violent.
False claims ranged from fabricated stories that Ukrainians attempted to assassinate Orbán to allegations that the opposition planned to conscript young Hungarians to fight in Ukraine. Russian-linked campaigns, including Matryoshka and Storm-1516, reportedly amplified these claims through fake news reports, forged websites, and coordinated TikTok videos that gained significant reach. This combination of top-down political messaging and bottom-up viral content is more insidious and likely more effective. That’s why short, low-grade, repetitive slop and Russia’s slapdash fake news reports are not to be underestimated.
Source: NewsGuard Reality Check. Don’t Dismiss AI Slop Ahead of Hungary’s Crucial Election. [online] Published 9 April 2026. Available at: https://www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/dont-dismiss-ai-slop-ahead-of-hungarys
China
Fake Facebook Accounts Bolster Chinese Embassy Attacks vs PCIJ According to an article by PressOne.PH, a coordinated network of fake Facebook accounts and pro-Duterte influencers amplified attacks by the Chinese Embassy in Manila against the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), following PCIJ’s reporting on pro-Beijing influence operations in the country. After PCIJ republished a guide on identifying pro-China propaganda in February 2026, the embassy accused the newsroom of being a U.S.-backed "tool" and questioned its editorial independence by pointing to funding from the National Endowment for Democracy. Within hours, more than one hundred accounts with a combined reach of nearly 3 million followers rapidly spread the embassy’s message, ensuring the narrative was already widely circulating by morning.
Analysis of more than 640 Facebook accounts found that a significant share showed medium to high signs of inauthentic behavior, including suspicious usernames, dormant profiles that suddenly became highly active, generic comments, bot-like posting patterns, and the use of stock or AI-generated profile images. These accounts systematically echoed the embassy’s claims that PCIJ was biased and part of a broader anti-China media campaign. This artificial amplification was designed to make the embassy’s messaging appear as organic public sentiment, while discouraging investigative reporting on sensitive issues such as the West Philippine Sea and foreign influence operations.
More broadly, the campaign reflected a familiar state-backed tactic: discrediting independent media by portraying foreign-funded journalism as a hostile political operation. The report warned that this strategy threatens not only a single newsroom but the broader integrity of the Philippine information space and public understanding of national sovereignty issues. Source: PressOne.PH. Fake Facebook accounts bolster Chinese Embassy attacks vs PCIJ. [online] Published 9 April 2026. Available at: https://pressone.ph/fake-facebook-accounts-bolster-chinese-embassy-attacks-vs-pcij/
China’s Biased Coverage of the Iran War As published by The Jamestown Foundation, disinformation played a central role in shaping narratives about the Iran war, particularly through Chinese state media. Instead of reporting Iranian military losses or weaknesses, official outlets amplified Iranian claims, many of which were false, about successful strikes on U.S. assets. These included unverified reports of destroyed radar systems and downed aircraft, sometimes supported by AI-generated images or even video game footage presented as real evidence.
This selective reporting reflects a deliberate effort to construct a distorted picture of the battlefield. By repeating Iranian disinformation and ignoring contradictory evidence, Chinese media created the impression that Iran’s defenses remained strong and effective, despite clear indications of U.S. and Israeli tactical success. As the gap between claims and reality became more apparent, the narrative shifted toward portraying the United States as strategically failing.
Source: Jamestown Foundation. Weapons Systems Failures May Have Led to Personnel Removals. [online] Published 9 April 2026. Available at: https://jamestown.org/weapons-systems-failures-may-have-led-to-personnel-removals/
Iran
Fake video of Captured U.S. Pilot in Iran
NewsGuard’s Reality Check reported a disinformation campaign in which pro-Iran social media users circulated a video falsely claiming it showed Iranian forces capturing a U.S. pilot after an F-15E jet was shot down on 03th of April 2026. The video quickly gained traction online, amassing hundreds of thousands of views, and was presented as real-time evidence of major military success.
In reality, the video was unrelated to the event and had been circulating online since at least May 2025, well before the 2026 conflict. Earlier versions of the same footage had been used in a completely different context. This highlights a common disinformation tactic of recycling old or unverifiable content and reframing it to fit current events. Notably, even Iranian state media avoided definitively claiming the pilot’s capture, instead using vague or contradictory language. At the same time, credible reports confirmed that both U.S. crewmembers were successfully rescued, contradicting the viral claims.
Source: NewsGuard Reality Check. The Captured US Pilot Who Wasn’t Captured. [online] Published 7 April 2026. Available at: https://www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/the-captured-us-pilot-who-wasnt-captured
AI-Driven Disinformation About World Leaders’ Health
As revealed by NewsGuard’s Reality Check, as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign, pro-Iran social media users used AI-generated images and videos to manipulate perceptions of key political leaders during wartime. False content portrayed Iran’s leader as strong and active, while depicting U.S. President Donald Trump as weak and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as dead or incapacitated. These narratives were widely shared, particularly in Arabic and Farsi, indicating a targeted regional influence effort.
In reality, the viral materials were fabricated or misrepresented. The video showing Iran’s leader was identified as AI-generated, and the image of Trump struggling to walk was also artificially created, containing clear digital markers and visual inconsistencies. At the same time, authentic footage of Netanyahu was falsely labeled as AI-generated to support claims that he had died. This mix of fake content and false accusations against real content demonstrates a dual strategy of creating disinformation while also discrediting genuine evidence.
Sources: NewsGuard Reality Check. AI Misdiagnoses Health of World Leaders. [online] Published 7 April 2026. Available at: https://www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/ai-misdiagnoses-health-of-world-leaders
Iran Threats Produce Fake Claims of Missile Strikes
A report by NewsGuard's Reality Check highlighted a recurring disinformation pattern in which Iran publicly threatens specific targets and pro-Iran social media accounts, then falsely claims that those targets were successfully struck, even when no such attacks occurred. On several occasions before the 7th of April 2026 ceasefire, users on X and other platforms circulated misleading videos and posts claiming Iranian missile strikes on high-profile sites, including Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility, Intel and IBM offices in Petah Tikva, and the King Fahd Causeway linking Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. These posts attracted millions of views and significantly amplified the perception of Iranian military success. In each case, the claims were false or unsupported by credible evidence.
Sources: NewsGuard Reality Check. Iran Threats Produce Fake Claims of Missile Strikes. [online] Published 8 April 2026. Available at: https://www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/iran-threats-produce-fake-claims
Disinformation Trends in the Iran War
According to NewsGuard’s publication, disinformation has spread rapidly during the Iran war, with at least 69 false claims gaining hundreds of millions of views in less than a month. These misleading narratives appear frequently and consistently, and Most of these claims promote a pro-Iran perspective.
A key trend is the evolution of disinformation techniques. Early false claims often relied on misused or taken-out-of-context images and videos, but more recent ones increasingly use AI-generated content to fabricate events. Another growing tactic is to discredit accurate reporting by falsely claiming that real, verified media is actually AI-generated. Interestingly, much of this disinformation does not originate directly from Iranian state media but spreads through a wider network of actors and platforms. This reflects a decentralized information environment where false narratives can circulate widely regardless of their source.
Sources: NewsGuard. 2026 Iran War False Claims Tracking Center. [online] Published 10 April 2026. Available at: https://www.newsguardtech.com/special-reports/2026-iran-war/
[AI Related Articles]
The Rise of "Slopaganda" and AI-Driven Disinformation
According to an article by The Conversation, we are experiencing a growing wave of disinformation known as "slopaganda", where AI-generated or misleading content is used for propaganda purposes. Following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, both sides engaged in spreading manipulated media: official communications mixed real footage with entertainment clips. At the same time, Iran and its supporters circulated outdated war videos and AI-generated images falsely depicting attacks.
Slopaganda relies on emotionally charged, attention-grabbing content that spreads quickly on social media, often without concern for truth. It includes not only misleading material but also symbolic or exaggerated content designed to shape perceptions and associations, such as portraying political figures in absurd or negative ways. Even when not meant to be taken literally, such content can influence beliefs and reinforce biases, especially when audiences are repeatedly exposed to it in fast-moving, low-attention environments.
Source: The Conversation. Slopaganda wars: how (and why) the US and Iran are flooding the zone with viral AI-generated noise. [online] Published 8 April 2026. Available at: https://theconversation.com/slopaganda-wars-how-and-why-the-us-and-iran-are-flooding-the-zone-with-viral-ai-generated-noise-280024
Growing Propaganda Threats Through Language Models
As highlighted in a DFR Lab report, a sophisticated form of disinformation in which pro-Kremlin networks, such as the Pravda system, flood the internet with AI-generated propaganda to influence how large language models (LLMs) are trained. This tactic, known as "AI poisoning" or "LLM grooming", aims to embed false or biased narratives directly into the data that AI systems learn from. Unlike surface-level manipulation (such as search results), poisoning training data is far more dangerous because it can permanently shape how AI models generate responses.
Research shows that even a relatively small number of malicious documents can distort AI outputs, and evidence suggests that such propaganda has already entered widely used datasets like Common Crawl. In some cases, models were able to reproduce false narratives, such as Kremlin-backed claims about U.S.-Ukrainian biolabs, almost word for word.
The broader implication is that AI systems themselves can become vehicles for disinformation if their training data is compromised. This threat is especially serious for smaller developers relying on public datasets, and it underscores the need for stricter data filtering and oversight to prevent long-term contamination of AI-generated knowledge.
Source: Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab). Pravda in the pipeline: Early evidence of state-adjacent propaganda in AI training data. [online] Published 8 April 2026. Available at: https://dfrlab.org/2026/04/08/pravda-in-the-pipeline/
AI-Amplified Disinformation in Russia and China
According to research by Hybrid CoE, China and Russia are increasingly using artificial intelligence to enhance disinformation and influence operations abroad. AI allows these actors to produce and spread misleading content at a greater scale and speed, making propaganda more efficient and harder to detect. This includes generating fake images, videos, and text, and targeting specific audiences with tailored narratives that distort reality.
While both countries use AI for disinformation, their approaches differ. China has more advanced domestic AI capabilities and uses them not only for content creation but also for data collection, monitoring, and precise targeting of individuals. Russia, although less advanced technologically, compensates by using widely available AI tools and focusing on high-volume, experimental disinformation campaigns. In some cases, both countries amplify similar narratives when their interests align.
As a result of the growing use of AI in disinformation, democratic societies face greater risks of manipulation and polarization. Addressing this challenge requires a combination of technological solutions, regulation, and human oversight to detect and counter increasingly sophisticated disinformation tactics.
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AI Chatbots Pose a Growing Risk of Disinformation
According to a report by TechXplore, the increasing role of AI chatbots in spreading harmful and misleading information, especially among vulnerable users like children. Unlike traditional disinformation on social media, which is broadcast to large audiences, AI chatbots deliver personalized content directly to individuals. This makes disinformation more persuasive and harder to detect, as it can be tailored to a user’s emotions, fears, and personal situation. Research cited in the text shows that many AI systems are willing to generate dangerous or false guidance, including instructions related to violence, self-harm, or illegal activities. In some cases, chatbots present harmful content as reliable and factual, blurring the line between truth and falsehood.
The report warned that because the "new" AI-driven disinformation operates more privately and at scale, it can influence individuals without public scrutiny. This creates a new form of disinformation where misleading or dangerous ideas are not just shared but actively produced and adapted in real time and raises urgent concerns about regulation and the need to prevent AI systems from generating or reinforcing harmful content.
Source: Tech Xplore. AI chatbots offer children harm as if it were help, says activist. [online] Published 11 April 2026. Available at: https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ai-chatbots-children-activist.html
Disinformation Risks in AI-Generated Search Results
An article by The New York Times highlighted how AI-generated search summaries, such as Google’s "AI Overviews", can contribute to the spread of misleading or inaccurate information. While these systems aim to provide quick and authoritative answers, they sometimes produce responses that contradict reliable sources or lack proper evidence. This can confuse users and create uncertainty about what is true, especially when incorrect information is presented with confidence.
Although AI Overviews are accurate most of the time, even a small error rate results in a massive volume of misinformation due to the scale of global searches. Additionally, many answers are “ungrounded,” meaning they are not fully supported by the sources they cite. This makes it difficult for users to verify claims and increases the risk that false or distorted information will be accepted as fact.
AI systems can unintentionally amplify disinformation by generating and distributing incorrect content at scale. Therefore, the text underscored that as these tools become more central to how people access information, the need for critical evaluation and cross-checking sources becomes essential to avoid being misled.
Source: The New York Times. Google’s A.I. Overviews Struggle With Accuracy, Study Finds. [online] Published 7 April 2026. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/technology/google-ai-overviews-accuracy.html
[General Reports]
Disinformation Ecosystem in Spain
According to a report by EU Disinfo Lab, the disinformation landscape in Spain is complex and rapidly evolving, as false narratives are often triggered by major events such as natural disasters and geopolitical tensions. These campaigns use emotionally charged and misleading content, ranging from conspiracy theories about weather manipulation to false claims about migration or energy failures, to exploit public fear. Social media platforms play a central role in amplifying such content, often prioritizing virality over accuracy.
This ecosystem stands out for the blending of domestic and foreign disinformation efforts. Russian-linked networks and other external actors frequently amplify internal divisions by spreading misleading narratives about migration, elections, or EU policies. At the same time, local "digital agitators" and political movements use similar tactics to build influence and erode trust in institutions. This creates a feedback loop where disinformation spreads across platforms and even translates into real-world political action. Recurring themes, such as anti-migrant sentiment and conspiracy theories, are constantly adapted to new contexts, making them more resilient and harder to counter. Despite efforts like factchecking and regulation, the speed and scale of disinformation continue to challenge authorities.
Source: EU DisinfoLab. The disinformation landscape in Spain. [online] Published 8 April 2026. Available at: https://www.disinfo.eu/publications/disinformation-landscape-in-spain/
NATO’s Assessment and Response to Cognitive Warfare Threats
A NATO report highlighted that modern security threats increasingly rely on disinformation and propaganda to influence public opinion and decision-making. Adversaries exploit digital platforms, social media, and emerging technologies such as AI and deepfakes to spread misleading or false information, weaken trust in institutions, and interfere in democratic processes. These tactics are part of broader "cognitive warfare", where the goal is not only to inform but to manipulate how individuals and societies think and act.
Disinformation is central to this strategy, targeting both civilians and military decision-makers. The report emphasized that such manipulation has already played a major role in recent conflicts, demonstrating how information can be weaponized alongside traditional military force. By exploiting vulnerabilities in human cognition and the information environment, adversaries aim to disrupt decision-making cycles and gain a strategic advantage without confrontation.
In response, NATO stressed the need for stronger scientific and technological capabilities to detect, analyze, and counter disinformation-driven cognitive attacks. This includes improving resilience at both societal and institutional levels, investing in research, and fostering cooperation across governments and sectors.
Source: NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO). NATO Chief Scientist Research Report on Cognitive Warfare. [online] Published 19 January 2026. Available at: https://www.sto.nato.int/wp-content/uploads/chief-scientist-report-cognitive-warfare-final.pdf
Fake Claim that CNN Reported a Fake Iranian Statement
A report by NewsGuard's Reality Check debunked claims that CNN fabricated an Iranian statement regarding the April 2026 U.S.-Iran ceasefire. Following CNN’s report that Iran claimed it had "forced the United States to accept in principle its 10-point plan", Donald Trump publicly accused the network of spreading "fake news". His criticism was quickly amplified by members of his administration, conservative media outlets, and online influencers, generating millions of views across multiple countries and languages.
According to the report, CNN’s coverage was actually based on an authentic statement issued by Iran’s security council and also published by Iranian state media, including Fars News and Press TV. The confusion appears to stem from the existence of two legitimate versions of the statement: a full version, which included Iran’s claim that the U.S. had accepted its 10-point plan, and an abridged version later cited by Trump that omitted this language.
Source: NewsGuard Reality Check. No, CNN Did Not Fake Iranian Statement. [online] Published April 2026. Available at: https://www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/no-cnn-did-not-fake-iranian-statement
A GOP-Aligned Group is Using Klan Imagery to Target Black Voters
According to an article by The Washington Post, a Republican-aligned political action committee in Virginia, Democracy and Justice, is facing criticism for a mailer campaign that uses Ku Klux Klan imagery, civil rights symbolism, and old quotes from Barack Obama and Governor Abigail Spanberger to target Black voters ahead of the state’s 21st of April redistricting referendum.
Critics, including the NAACP and Democratic officials, said the ads are designed to create confusion and suppress turnout by falsely implying that Obama and Spanberger oppose the measure. The campaign appears aimed at African American and elderly voters, both key constituencies in what is expected to be a closely contested vote.
The referendum is politically significant because it could reshape Virginia’s congressional districts in a way that benefits Democrats and influences the broader national battle for control of the U.S. House. While polling suggests that most Black voters support the measure, opponents are spending heavily to challenge it, and even limited confusion among voters could affect the outcome.
Source: The Washington Post. A GOP-aligned group is using Klan imagery to target Black voters. [online] Published 9 April 2026. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/09/virginia-redistricting-obama-civil-rights/
Elon Musk’s xAI Sues Colorado Over AI Law
As reported by CyberNews, Elon Musk’s xAI has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block Colorado’s new AI law, Senate Bill 24-205, which is set to take effect on June 30. The law requires developers of "high-risk" AI systems used in areas such as employment, housing, education, healthcare, and financial services to take reasonable steps to prevent algorithmic discrimination and disclose known risks. xAI argued that the law violates the First Amendment by compelling developers to redesign systems, such as its chatbot Grok, to reflect the state’s preferred views on fairness, diversity, and discrimination.
The lawsuit also reflects a broader national debate over whether AI regulation should be handled by individual states or by Washington. xAI claimed that a patchwork of state-level rules could hinder innovation, weaken competition, and undermine U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence. The company is seeking both an injunction to stop enforcement and a court ruling declaring the law unconstitutional.
Source: Cybernews. Elon Musk's xAI sues Colorado over AI law and claims it forces specific viewpoints into AI. [online] Published 10 April 2026. Available at: https://cybernews.com/ai-news/musk-xai-court-colorado-ai-law-kill-innovation-viewpoints/
[Appendix - Frameworks to Counter Disinformation]
The Evolving Impact of Digital Technologies on European Democracy
A report by The European Commission argued that Europe’s democratic resilience is being weakened by an information environment shaped by the "attention economy", in which digital platforms prioritize engagement and advertising revenue over accuracy and public interest. Algorithms tend to amplify emotional, divisive, and conflict-driven content, contributing to fragmented realities, ideological echo chambers, and the spread of mis- and disinformation. Rather than simply convincing people of specific falsehoods, today’s manipulation often seeks to "flood the zone" with confusion, distrust, and competing narratives, eroding any shared sense of reality essential for democratic institutions to function. The report described this as a growing "fantasy-industrial complex", further intensified by generative AI, which can produce persuasive text, audio, and video at scale.
To address these risks, the report recommended building alternative public digital spaces that do not rely on engagement-based business models, strengthening crowd-sourced knowledge systems similar to Wikipedia, expanding fact-checking mechanisms, improving media literacy, and reducing the profitability of disinformation. It also called for greater user control over recommendation algorithms and platform feeds, as well as reforms to platform business models through regulation and alternative revenue structures such as subscriptions or non-profit models. A central conclusion was that these measures cannot succeed without stronger EU digital sovereignty, as much of Europe’s information space is controlled by foreign-owned platforms whose interests may not align with democratic values.
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre. Fractured reality: How democracy can win the global struggle over the information space. [online] Published 9 April 2026. Available at: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC144603
Check First and French Journalists in a Virtual Foreign Interference Campaign
Check First, in partnership with the French training organization Samsa, developed an immersive one-day workshop to help journalists identify foreign information manipulation, disinformation campaigns, and coordinated inauthentic behavior in an electoral context. The training was designed in response to growing concerns that foreign interference is increasingly targeting not only national elections but also local elections in France, where candidates have recently faced disinformation attacks. The initiative aims to strengthen newsroom preparedness so journalists can quickly recognize and explain such campaigns to the public.
Using Check First’s "Tutki" platform, participants were placed in a simulated election scenario set in the fictional coastal city of Porteval. Journalists navigated a realistic stream of social media content, including ordinary lifestyle posts, manipulated political narratives, troll activity, and fabricated documents linked to a fake foreign company. Following a similar session in Armenia, the organizers were convinced that raising awareness of disinformation campaigns can be practical, entertaining, and applicable to a wide audience of media professionals throughout Europe.
Source: Check First. Check First and Samsa immerse French journalists in a virtual foreign interference campaign. [online] Published 13 March 2026. Available at: https://checkfirst.network/check-first-and-samsa-immerse-french-journalists-in-a-virtual-foreign-interference-campaign/
US Budget Frames Global Institutions as Disinformation Actors
The Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2027, identifies certain international organizations and programs as contributors to disinformation and narrative manipulation, particularly highlighting the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the National Endowment for Democracy. It asserts that these actors disseminate biased or misleading narratives that undermine U.S. interests and distort global information environments, including through media support initiatives and fact-checking mechanisms that are portrayed as selectively shaping public discourse.
The document characterizes these activities as part of broader influence tactics that involve funding media networks, promoting specific ideological narratives, and using institutional platforms to legitimize contested information. It frames these actors as participating in coordinated efforts that influence perception and policy debates, and proposes reducing or eliminating funding to such entities as a means of countering what it identifies as disinformation-driven influence operations.
Source: The White House. Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2027. [online] Published April 2026. Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/budget_fy2027.pdf
[CRC Glossary]
The nature and sophistication of the modern Information Environment is projected to continue to escalate in complexity. However, across academic publications, legal frameworks, policy debates, and public communications, the same concepts are often described in different ways, making collaboration, cooperation, and effective action more difficult.
To ensure clarity and establish a consistent frame of reference, the CRC is maintaining a standard glossary to reduce ambiguity and promote terminological interoperability. Its scope encompasses foundational concepts, as well as emerging terms relating to Hostile Influence and Cyfluence.
As a collaborative project maintained with input from the community of experts, the CRC Glossary is intended to reflect professional consensus. We encourage you to engage with this initiative and welcome contributions via the CRC website.
