Influencers at the Gate: The Role of Influencers in Russian Info & Influence Ops

10/15/24 • 37 min

In this episode, your host, Marcus Kolga, travels to Tallinn Estonia where he meets with leading global expert on Russian influence and information operations, Molly McKew, to talk about the role of domestic US and Canadian influencers in those operations, their impact on our society, and about those nations that have successfully challenged them, like Estonia.

Previous Episode

The Frontline of Russian Deception: Defending Latvia against Russian Information Warfare

In this episode, Marcus Kolga travels to the capital of Latvia, Riga, where he chats with former Latvian Defence Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Artis Pabriks, the founder and chairman of the Northern Defence Policy Center Think Tank. Dr. Pabriks highlights Latvia's early recognition of Russian hybrid and information warfare, emphasizing the need for countermeasures.

Next Episode

Taiwan Power: Taiwan's Experience & Defence Against PRC FIMI with Ben Graham Jones

In this episode, we’ll explore how one of the world’s most vulnerable nations—Taiwan, which faces a daily barrage of Chinese state information and influence operations—has successfully built resilience against PRC information warfare . We’ll delve into Taiwan’s comprehensive, whole-of-society approach to countering these threats.

Joining me today is Ben Graham Jones, a specialist in emerging threats to election integrity. Ben advises leading organizations in the elections field and contributed to the report we’ll be discussing through his work with Doublethink Lab in Taipei. Over his career, he has led three election missions, participated in numerous election observation, assistance, and advisory missions, and designed cutting-edge tools for analyzing online information and election technologies.

Ben’s extensive experience includes working with organizations like the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Carter Center, and the European Union. He has also served as a policy adviser on Prime Ministerial initiatives in the United Kingdom. Ben’s a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London’s Department of War Studies, Ben is also a Fellow at the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

In his report, Taiwan POWER, which examines the 2024 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan, Ben presents Taiwan as a model for building resilience against foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).