Russia remains the leading source of global disinformation campaigns, according to Meta's latest Adversarial Threat Report. The report highlights that since 2017, Russia has been responsible for 39 covert influence operations, followed by Iran with 31 networks and China with 11.
Meta's quarterly assessment reveals that their teams have dismantled approximately 20 new covert influence operations worldwide this year, spanning regions including the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the United States.
The company's tracking of these activities began following Russia's 2016 Facebook campaign involving the Internet Research Agency. While Russia maintains its position at the forefront of these operations, other nations are increasingly engaging in similar tactics.
Most of these deceptive networks struggle to build authentic audiences, often resorting to purchasing fake likes and followers to appear more influential. Meta notes that such artificial engagement is typically easy to identify, as interaction often comes from outside targeted regions.
A recent example involved a network originating from Moldova's Transnistria region, targeting Russian-speaking audiences. The operation's followers were predominantly from outside Moldova, suggesting the use of inauthentic engagement tactics.
The report comes amid growing concerns across Europe about Russian disinformation tactics. NATO and EU officials have identified nearly 100 hybrid attacks attributed to Russia this year alone, prompting increased defensive measures and international cooperation.
These findings underscore the ongoing challenges social media platforms face in combating coordinated disinformation campaigns, as state actors continue to evolve their methods of influence operations across digital platforms.