Report highlights spread of disinformation from Russia, China and far-right sources

A new analysis examines how disinformation originating from Russia, China and far-right influencers is spreading online, using deepfakes and coordinated false narratives that researchers say are contributing to social division and public despair.

The campaigns vary widely in their methods and targets. In one example, a fabricated video appeared to show actor Tom Cruise criticizing the Paris Olympics, a deepfake designed to spread quickly on social media. In another case tied to Russian disinformation efforts, an attack on a train near the Ukraine-Poland border was falsely framed as a staged, or "false-flag," operation rather than an act attributable to Russia.

A pattern of varied tactics

Researchers tracking these campaigns say the range of techniques, from celebrity deepfakes to conspiracy narratives about military incidents, makes disinformation harder to identify and counter. The false narratives are not limited to a single theme or region, instead touching on entertainment, geopolitics and conflict.

The findings underscore growing concern among researchers and policymakers about the difficulty of countering disinformation as the technology used to produce convincing fake content becomes more accessible.