Disinformation isn’t random.
It follows a playbook.
And if you’ve been watching U.S. events lately, you’ve seen it in action. 🧵 1/
It follows a playbook.
And if you’ve been watching U.S. events lately, you’ve seen it in action. 🧵 1/
Step 1: Bots & Amplifiers
Sleeper accounts suddenly light up.
Fake followers boost the loudest lies.
What looks like “trending” is often manufactured. 2/
Sleeper accounts suddenly light up.
Fake followers boost the loudest lies.
What looks like “trending” is often manufactured. 2/
Step 2: Deepfakes & Misused Media
Old videos repurposed.
New ones faked.
Images ripped out of context to inflame outrage. 3/
Old videos repurposed.
New ones faked.
Images ripped out of context to inflame outrage. 3/
Step 3: Influencer Leverage
Seemingly “independent” voices push narratives.
Sometimes funded, sometimes fooled.
But the message lines up perfectly with foreign agendas. 4/
Seemingly “independent” voices push narratives.
Sometimes funded, sometimes fooled.
But the message lines up perfectly with foreign agendas. 4/
Step 4: Polarization
Hit the same fractures every time:
👉 Politics
👉 Science
👉 Class
Take what already divides us, then rip it wider. 5/
Hit the same fractures every time:
👉 Politics
👉 Science
👉 Class
Take what already divides us, then rip it wider. 5/
Step 5: False Flags & Conspiracies
After every tragedy?
Flood the feed with “shadowy plots” and “paid actors.”
The goal: Distrust everyone. 6/
After every tragedy?
Flood the feed with “shadowy plots” and “paid actors.”
The goal: Distrust everyone. 6/
Step 6: Target Swing Audiences
It’s not random.
They know which states, which groups, which fears to hit.
This is precision warfare - just with memes. 7/
It’s not random.
They know which states, which groups, which fears to hit.
This is precision warfare - just with memes. 7/
Step 7: Emotion Over Facts
Forget policy details.
Frame it as “us vs them.”
Fear. Anger. Moral panic.
That’s what spreads fastest. 8/
Forget policy details.
Frame it as “us vs them.”
Fear. Anger. Moral panic.
That’s what spreads fastest. 8/
Step 8: AI + Algorithms
AI lowers costs, algorithms boost outrage.
Perfect combo for flooding feeds with rage-bait at scale. 9/
AI lowers costs, algorithms boost outrage.
Perfect combo for flooding feeds with rage-bait at scale. 9/
🎯 The goals never change:
Kill trust in institutions.
Paralyze action with confusion.
Weaken democracy from within.
Smear opponents, prop up allies. 10/
Kill trust in institutions.
Paralyze action with confusion.
Weaken democracy from within.
Smear opponents, prop up allies. 10/
This isn’t noise.
It’s a playbook.
And unless we learn to spot it, we’ll keep falling for the same script. 11/
It’s a playbook.
And unless we learn to spot it, we’ll keep falling for the same script. 11/
The defense starts with awareness.
Disinformation doesn’t win by persuading you. It wins when we fight against each other. 12/
Disinformation doesn’t win by persuading you. It wins when we fight against each other. 12/
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