The hottest Information Warfare Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

How I Won a Disinformation Battle — But Lost the War

The Garden of Forking Paths • 2358 implied HN points • 14 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Disinformation Debunking Political Scandal Media influence Information Warfare
  1. Disinformation can be spread effectively by creating simple, captivating narratives.
  2. False information tends to stick in people's minds, even after being corrected.
  3. Debunking lies is important, but it's crucial to present the truth in a way that resonates with the audience and to address disinformation strategically.

New: Shocking From Taibbi

FOIA Around And Find Out • 1493 implied HN points • 19 Feb 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media Censorship Information Warfare
  1. Some Twitter accounts were banned without a clear explanation, leading to suspicion of being flagged for political reasons.
  2. State Department officials requested Twitter to remove accounts based on claims of being Russian-controlled, without concrete evidence.
  3. The situation raises concerns about information warfare and the targeting of accounts for sharing content related to Russiagate or Hunter Biden.

Totalitarianism of Now: Psyops of the UniLARPy

Rounding the Earth Newsletter • 7 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Control Information Warfare Public Perception Social Engineering Political narratives
  1. Totalitarianism controls how people see the world. By controlling information, it shapes culture and politics.
  2. The UniLARPy refers to a controlled narrative where various groups act under the same agenda, despite appearing to compete.
  3. Psyops, or psychological operations, manipulate perceptions and create confusion, often leading to people supporting harmful leadership unknowingly.
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New York Times’ ridiculous attack on me exposes its deceitful propaganda tactics

Geopolitical Economy Report • 637 implied HN points • 15 Apr 22
🌍 World Politics Propaganda US government Independent Journalism Information Warfare
  1. The New York Times published a smear piece attacking an independent journalist, Benjamin Norton, without giving him a chance to comment, revealing a history of false propaganda tactics.
  2. The article dismissed factual statements about the US-sponsored coup in Ukraine as 'conspiracy theory,' despite evidence of US government involvement in coups worldwide.
  3. Prominent voices like University of Chicago Professor John Mearsheimer have acknowledged the US government's role in starting the war in Ukraine, while mainstream media attempts to dismiss these truths as 'conspiracy theories.'

The East Is Rising – Or Is It? Plus “Obituary Pirates,” Russian Information Warfare “Strategy Without Design,” The New Climate Denial, and How Libraries Arm the Elderly Against Disinformation

Natto Thoughts • 59 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Global Alliances Information Warfare Climate Denial Disinformation
  1. Russia is projecting confidence in alliances with China and the Global South to undermine the West's dominance in the world financial system.
  2. China's support for Russia has limits, and Chinese intentions may not align with Moscow's grandiose visions.
  3. Russian information warfare strategy focuses on influencing enemy populations and governments to disrupt their ability to resist aggression, with a shift toward proxy operations and strategic use of social media influencers.

Let's "Unfriend" Facebook

Diane Francis • 619 implied HN points • 22 Feb 21
🕹 Technology Social media Privacy Regulation Cybersecurity Information Warfare
  1. Facebook's response to Australia's push for media regulation shows their arrogant power. They blocked important information and media, which raises questions about their respect for democracy.
  2. The company's early financial backing from Russian investors highlights concerns about privacy and user data exploitation. This money helped transform Facebook into a tool for propagating various ideologies.
  3. Facebook's history of blocking content and censoring users, especially in oppressive regimes, indicates a troubling disregard for free speech. The company often reacts slowly to criticism and legal issues, making it seem like they prioritize profit over ethics.

“State-in-a-Smartphone” App Helps Ukraine Weather War and Counter Corruption

Natto Thoughts • 39 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🌍 World Politics International Aid Corruption Cybersecurity Information Warfare Ukraine
  1. Diia app in Ukraine is a prime example of effectively utilizing international aid money and technical savvy to enhance digital governance and counter corruption.
  2. The app has evolved to support citizens during wartime, offering various tools for evacuation, financial support, and information dissemination.
  3. Ukraine's focus on transforming into a non-corrupt, modern state through initiatives like Diia reflects its determination to build a resilient, tech-savvy economy with potential for global export of innovative solutions.

Pentagon is Combining Corporate Records and Social Media Surveillance to Guide Hacking and Influence Operations

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 101 implied HN points • 27 Apr 23
🌍 World Politics Military Intelligence Surveillance Cyber Operations Information Warfare
  1. Pentagon is combining corporate records and social media surveillance for hacking and influence operations.
  2. Corporate surveillance firms were discussing providing bulk surveillance data for purposes like protecting the NATO brand.
  3. U.S. military and intelligence agencies are developing offensive information warfare industry using social media surveillance, corporate records analysis, and cellphone location-tracking.

Disrupt and Demoralize, Deniably

Natto Thoughts • 19 implied HN points • 13 Oct 23
🌍 World Politics Cyber Operations Russian Influence Information Warfare Election interference
  1. Russian military hackers use hacktivist personas like Solntsepek to disrupt and demoralize by hacking and leaking data to discredit Ukraine's government.
  2. The Solntsepek campaign exemplifies the GRU disruptive playbook, combining cyber attacks to damage institutions with information operations to boast of achievements and demoralize victims.
  3. Russian cyber-enabled information operations aim to sway elections; such operations are coordinated efforts between GRU hackers and state media to influence target populations and decision-makers.

Shen Weiguang – Father of China’s Information Warfare Theory, Who Could not Type

Natto Thoughts • 19 implied HN points • 09 Jun 23
💾 History Information Warfare China Military Strategy
  1. The concept of information warfare was introduced in China in the mid-1980s by Shen Weiguang, a self-taught military strategist who became known as the father of China's information warfare theory despite facing initial skepticism from publishers and having no military rank or affiliation.
  2. Shen Weiguang's interest in information warfare was sparked during his time at the frontline of the Battle of Laoshan, where he envisioned a more civilized form of warfare in the information age, leading him to publish his Information Warfare book in 1990.
  3. In 1998, Shen Weiguang made a global debut at the Ars Electronica Festival, showcasing his expertise in information warfare despite admitting he couldn't type or use computers, highlighting the core purpose of information warfare as subduing the enemy without direct conflict, drawing wisdom from ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu.

Who Broke America?

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 15 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Society Misinformation Political polarization Information Warfare Conspiracy Theories
  1. The disintegration of America is believed to be caused by internal factors like financialization of the economy and wealth concentration, as well as external influences like Russian disinformation.
  2. Misinformation and conspiracies have been fueled by the fast, reactive, and emotionally-driven nature of social media, creating a sense of urgency and blurring the line between what is emotionally urgent and what is genuinely important.
  3. As society grapples with a reality where traditional definitions and concepts are losing meaning, there is a need to find ways to address the confusion, mistrust, and division to move towards a more coherent and unified collective movement.

Synthetic Controversy

Who is Robert Malone • 12 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🌍 World Politics Warfare Propaganda Information Warfare
  1. In warfare, the tactic of divide and conquer involves splitting enemy forces, isolating them, and attacking each group separately to weaken overall strength.
  2. In modern PsyWar and hybrid warfare, synthetic controversies are created to sow discord, weaken opposition, and consolidate power by exploiting emotions and opinions rather than facts.
  3. Creating and promoting controversies related to someone's behavior, beliefs, or feeling of belonging can be strategically used to advance objectives by generating buzz and dividing communities in a PsyWar context.

Twitter exec says 'hundreds of thousands' of Russian disinformation accounts still active on Twitter

Weaponized • 32 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Democracy Disinformation Foreign influence Information Warfare National Security
  1. Former Twitter executive confirms 'hundreds of thousands' of Russian disinformation accounts remain active on Twitter.
  2. Russian disinformation accounts on Twitter target Americans in an ongoing campaign.
  3. Social media platforms face challenges in countering foreign influence and disinformation.

Troll Humor

Natto Thoughts • 0 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
🌍 World Politics Social media influence Information Warfare
  1. Russian troll networks posed as left- and right-wing news sources to deepen social divides in US and Europe using well-documented disinformation tactics.
  2. The NAEBC and PeaceData networks exemplified Russian disinformation strategies like recruiting English-speakers, laundering disinformation, and amplifying both sides of divisive issues.
  3. Russian disinformation campaigns use inside jokes in their network names as a form of taunting, aiming to deceive Western audiences while spreading propaganda.

Slowly and then all at once

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 0 implied HN points • 25 Mar 22
🕹 Technology Social media Cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence Information Warfare Digital Transformation
  1. LiveJournal, once a popular platform, now hosts propaganda under Russian control.
  2. The transformation of LiveJournal occurred gradually, then suddenly due to ownership changes and content censorship.
  3. Various articles explore cultural shifts, technological advancements, and societal impacts in the digital age.

Putin: The Spy as Hero

Natto Thoughts • 0 implied HN points • 06 Apr 23
🌍 World Politics Propaganda Espionage Global relations Information Warfare
  1. Putin's admiration of fictional Soviet spy characters like Stierlitz influences his worldview and actions, drawing from the Soviet Union's struggle against Nazism for legitimacy.
  2. Putin's background as a former KGB agent reflects a 'Chekist worldview,' characterized by a perception of enemies, operating in secrecy, and discipline.
  3. Putin employs psychological operations, disinformation, and manipulation to portray the West as deceitful, relying on toxic narratives to divide and distract societies.