Canada’s intelligence leaders are sounding the alarm that foreign disinformation campaigns are actively undermining trust in democratic institutions ahead of the country’s next election. The report reveals how AI-generated videos, fake social media accounts, and cross-platform manipulation are being used to spread conspiracy theories and sow political division. The threat is so severe, authorities now call it “an existential threat to democracy.” 

An academic report from the Empirical Studies of Conflict (ESOC) project presents global dataset documenting 150 covert online influence operations between 2011 and 2023. The dataset identifies 150 campaigns targeting at least 70 countries, with Russia (60%), China (13%), and Iran (12%) responsible for the majority of foreign efforts. These campaigns used bots, trolls, fake accounts, and hashtag hijacking across platforms like X, Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram to defame opponents, manipulate public opinion, and promote authoritarian narratives.

A network of 28 social media and Telegram accounts with over 2 million followers generated more than 800,000 impressions in just 24 hours to promote the “Peace and neutrality, not our war” protest in Madrid. An investigation found that 82% of these accounts had previously disseminated pro-Russian or anti-Ukrainian disinformation. Organizers leveraged this digital infrastructure to amplify Kremlin-aligned messaging. This underscores how foreign propaganda networks are co-opting local movements to influence European narratives.

An investigation by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) exposes how Russian-affiliated groups recruit individuals through Telegram to spread anti-NATO propaganda, conduct cyberattacks on infrastructure, and fund hacktivist collectives like. From orchestrating migrant crises to sabotaging undersea energy cables, these hybrid attacks are testing Europe's resilience.

Israeli authorities uncovered an Iranian espionage network recruiting citizens through social media, exploiting financial and personal vulnerabilities for intelligence gathering. Recruits were tasked with surveilling military sites and infrastructure, using encrypted communications and cryptocurrency for covert operations. Brinker was instrumental in exposing the digital tactics behind this campaign, revealing the growing role of cyber warfare in foreign espionage efforts.

The Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise produced a fabricated video using AI tools, falsely accusing U.S. Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz of sexual misconduct. This disinformation aimed to interfere with the U.S. electoral process, prompting the Biden administration to impose sanctions on the involved Russian entities.

In the lead-up to Moldova's pivotal presidential election and EU membership referendum, disinformation campaigns, allegedly backed by pro-Kremlin sources, sought to destabilize the pro-European government. These efforts included hiring personalities to create misleading content, aiming to sway public opinion and undermine democratic processes.