Storm-1516 and the Hungarian Election with Darren Linvill

Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party won the Hungarian parliamentary elections in April, but Russia’s coordinated influence campaign to discredit him and his party exposes current Russian influence campaigns in the West.  Darren Linville of the Clemson University Media Forensics Hub walks us through the way Russia’s Storm-1516 ecosystem launders fabricated narratives—ranging from corruption and money laundering to military conscription and anti‑Ukraine claims—through fake news sites and outsourced amplification networks, including commercial marketing accounts tied to Africa. Hungary’s election didn’t break for Russia, but Storm‑1516’s low‑cost, high‑engagement tactics pose a persistent threat to democratic processes in the West. Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also review possible Iranian hybrid-warfare in Europe and Japan’s efforts to confront Chinese disinformation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.