For 20 years, ISD has delivered field-leading threat detection, analysis and real-world strategies to combat terrorism, extremism and authoritarianism - in all their ideological forms.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference

Democratic societies face a barrage of influence operations from foreign state actors that threaten election integrity, national security and individual rights. ISD is a world leader in identifying, analysing, exposing and combating Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), identifying networks of pro-Kremlin, pro-Chinese and pro-Iranian influence that is manipulative in character and conducted in an intentional and coordinated manner. Actors of such activity can be state or non-state actors, including their proxies inside and outside of their own territory.  

May 27, 2026

All operations on Armenia: Russia’s influence machine targets the vote

Multiple Russian information operations are converging on Armenia in an apparent attempt to influence parliamentary elections on 7 June

Democratic Integrity, Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Information Warfare and Online Manipulation

April 23, 2026

Iran’s diplomats launch a meme war

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Information Warfare and Online Manipulation

April 15, 2026

How pro-Iran networks gained a billion views on war propaganda

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Information Warfare and Online Manipulation

April 2, 2026

Foreign actors and foreign influence: An exploratory analysis of international state actors targeting Ireland in 2025

Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour, Data Access and Transparency, Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference

March 31, 2026

Irish unity, Palestine and Soleimani: Analysis of an Iranian information operation targeting Ireland

Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour, Data Access and Transparency, Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference

March 14, 2026

Iran floods global social media with AI content during ongoing conflict

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference

March 9, 2026

ISD investigation exposes sophistication of Russian interference in EU and beyond

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Information Warfare and Online Manipulation

March 7, 2026

AI floods the Iran conflict narrative with misinformation and state influence

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Information Warfare and Online Manipulation

March 5, 2026

A “narrative war” unfolds online after US-Israel strikes on Iran

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Information Warfare and Online Manipulation

Further Reading

January 19, 2022

Conspiracy clickbait: This one weird trick will undermine democracy

This series explores how networks linked to individuals in Vietnam use QAnon conspiracy theories and US political disinformation to generate revenue.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Information Warfare and Online Manipulation

January 10, 2022

Conspiracists are backing tennis star Djokovic amid controversy at the Australian Open

Recent controversy around Novak Djokovic's vaccine status at the 2022 Australian Open has sparked online debate among conspiracists.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health

December 17, 2021

Ciarán O’Connor: “COVID-19 has served as a catalyst for radicalisation”

Speaking with AP News on his latest report, our Ciarán O'Connor explains how COVID-19 fears have ultimately been exploited by conspiracists.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Hybrid Extremism and Nihilistic Violence

November 29, 2021

Far-right supporters and antivaxxers repackage conspiracies during the pandemic

Our Aoife Gallagher features in this article by Vice News on the growing interconnectedness between far-right and antivaccine movements globally.

Far-Right Extremism, Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health

November 13, 2021

Repurposing COVID-19 conspiracy theories among climate change sceptics

Our Jennie King features in BBC’s The Denial Files where she speaks about how different groups and movements have repurposed and weaponised COVID-19.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Information Warfare and Online Manipulation, Public Health

November 12, 2021

Climate-narrative hijacking by extremists and conspiracists threatens COP26 summit efforts

Our Jennie King has been onsite at COP26 with partner organisations monitoring dashboards analysing trends, posts and narratives.

Climate, Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference

November 11, 2021

What’s New (and What’s Not) with News Front

This research examines how pro-Kremlin propaganda site News Front has returned to Facebook at least three times despite a ban in 2020.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference

November 5, 2021

Russian state propaganda fuels COVID-19-related conspiracies among German social media

Our research exposes the influence RT DE on YouTube and how it became one of the most shared sources within the COVID-19 sceptic community.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health

October 21, 2021

Terror-related online activity isn’t the only type of extremist content that’s grown since the pandemic

ISD's Jacob Davey speaks to The Guardian in the wake of the killing of MP David Amess about the increase in "harmful" activity during the pandemic.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health, Terrorism and Extremism

October 21, 2021

Users circumvent TikTok policies by finding workarounds for publishing toxic content

What makes TikTok so popular is also what makes some its content so toxic among younger users.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health, Tech Accountability and Safety

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