Episode #12: Intro to Lies - China, Iran, and North Korea (Disinformation Part Two)

Dissecting Global Disinformation: Russia, China, Iran, and North KoreaThis episode of 'Propaganda Loves You' delves into the origins and mechanics of disinformation and propaganda by examining the tactics used by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Hosts Kodie, Arthur, and Joe discuss various strategies for spreading disinformation, including high-volume content, fake news sites, AI-generated material, and covert social media campaigns. The script provides detailed insights into the sources of this disinformation, such as the Hudson Institute, Merrick Institute, Graphica, and the Atlantic Council, and addresses the potential societal impacts of AI in this evolving landscape. The episode concludes by discussing the implications of AI deregulation on disinformation campaigns and underscores the urgent need for regulatory measures.00:00 Introduction and Hosts00:37 Main Topic: Global Disinformation01:25 Focus on China: Sources and Strategies05:43 China's Covert and Overt Tactics13:08 China's Discourse Power and TikTok Controversy20:11 Iran's Regional Propaganda Efforts24:09 Iran's Disinformation Tactics24:42 Iran's Cyber Activities25:17 Iran's Ideological Disinformation26:15 Discussion on Foreign Influence30:28 North Korea's Internal Propaganda34:33 North Korea's Cyber Operations39:40 The Future of AI in Disinformation44:55 Conclusion and Next StepsReferences on Chinese Disinformation Bond, S. (2023, April 21). Twitter strips 'state-affiliated' and 'government-funded' labels from some media. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2023/04/21/1171236695/twitter-strips-state-affiliated-government-funded-labels-from-npr-rt-chinaCadell, C. (2020, March 13). China spokesman says U.S. army might have brought coronavirus to Wuhan. Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/china-government-spokesman-says-us-army-might-have-brought-virus-to-china-idUSKBN20Z2HJDavidson, H. (2021, January 20). China revives conspiracy theory of US army link to Covid. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/20/china-revives-conspiracy-theory-of-us-army-link-to-covidDrinhausen, K., Legarda, H., Chimits, F., Vigneron, N., Gunter, J., & Alia, K. (2023, December 14). Image control: How China struggles for discourse power. MERICS. Retrieved from https://merics.org/en/report/image-control-how-china-struggles-discourse-power Graphika. (2019, September). Spamouflage: How an Inauthentic Pro-Chinese Network Evolved to Target the Xinjiang Critic Adrian Zenz, the Hong Kong Protests, and the Guo Wengui Movement. Retrieved from https://public assets.graphika.com/reports/graphika_report_spamouflage.pdfMeta. (2023). Adversarial Threat Report, Second Quarter 2023. Retrieved from https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/29/NEAR-FINAL-DRAFT-Meta-Quarterly-Adversarial-Threat-Report-Q2-2023.pdfMilmo, D. (2022, November 7). TikTok admits some staff in China can access US user data. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/nov/07/tiktoks-china-bytedance-data-concernsThibaut, K. (2022, November). Chinese Discourse Power: Ambitions and Reality in the Digital Domain. Atlantic Council. Retrieved from https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Chinese-Discourse-Power-Ambitions-and-Reality-in-the-Digital-Domain.pdfYu, M. (2024, April 18). Discourse Power: The CCP’s Strategy to Shape the Global Information Space. Hudson Institute. Retrieved from https://www.hudson.org/foreign-policy/discourse-power-ccp-strategy-shape-global-information-space-house-select-committee-miles-yuReferences on Iranian Disinformation The New Global Order. (2025, March 14). Rise in Digital Influence Operations: An Analysis into Iranian Disinformation Campaigns. Retrieved from https://thenewglobalorder.com/world-news/rise-in-digital-influence-operations-an-analysis-into-iranian-disinformation-campaigns/ JURIST. (2024, March 9). UN report alleges human rights violations by Iran government during Mahsa Amini protests. Jurist.org. Retrieved from https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/03/un-report-alleges-human-rights-violations-by-iran-government-during-mahsa-amini-protests/ Citizen Lab. (2019, May 14). Burned After Reading: Endless Mayfly's Ephemeral Disinformation Campaign. Retrieved from https://citizenlab.ca/2019/05/burned-after-reading-endless-mayflys-ephemeral-disinformation-campaign/ Office of the Director of National Intelligence. (2021, March 10). Foreign Threats to the 2020 U.S. Federal Elections (ICA-declass-16MAR21). DNI.gov. Retrieved from https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ICA-declass-16MAR21.pdf NPR. (2024, August 9). Microsoft detects fake news sites linked to Iran aimed at meddling in U.S. election. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2024/08/09/nx-s1-5069317/iran-interfere-presidential-election-microsoft-report  U.S. Department of the Treasury. (2024, September 27). Treasury Sanctions Entities in Iran and Russia That Attempted to Interfere in the U.S. 2024 Election. Retrieved from https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2766  BBC News. (2020,...