The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast

Iran’s digital influence campaigns didn’t start with the current war, and they won’t stop when it ends, says “Jane,” an analyst from the intelligence firm Graphika who asked us not to use her real name. In fact, last year’s 12-Day War and the current conflict show all the hallmarks of Iran’s international information campaigns, running the gamut from traditional propaganda to hacktivism and AI-generated content, sometimes with international amplification from America’s adversaries. Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also highlight reporting on the diplomatic dust-up between Germany and Russia over Russian active measures and the real lessons of the 2026 Hungarian elections.
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Iran is winning the meme war. It may seem like a silly metric, but it cuts to the quick of the nature of conflict. Iranian use of AI generated Lego-movies has shown the power and potential for new technology to reshape the modern battlefield—especially where it matters, in the minds of audiences around the world. David Gilbert from WIRED joins us after having spoken directly with the creators of the pro-Iranian content that has gone viral with its mix of Lego-styled animations and catchy rap lyrics. Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss a Russian campaign targeting Estonia and Russian media penetration in the global south.
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Telegram, the Russian-built social media platform, played a critical role in the Kremlin’s ability to make its case about the war in Ukraine. But Anna Varfolomeeva of the Cognitive Security Institute notes changes in the relationship between the Kremlin and Telegram—changes that may be motivated by concerns over Telegram’s potential to be used as a tool of mass mobilization inside Russia during a period of economic, political, and military challenges for Moscow. Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also review the latest from the war in Iran and the winnowing of American soft power.
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"His" name is Danny Bones. He's a far-right, AI-generated persona who raps about England, tradition, and the assault on what he values by immigrants, the deep state, and journalists, among others. Effie Webb broke the story for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism about how the anonymous collective behind Danny Bones was hired by a new, far-right British political party and employed their content in a recent by-election. In addition, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson break down the Trump administration's recent directive to U.S. embassies to get into the information fight as well as reporting from Hungary about the role disinformation is playing in that country's up-coming election.

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That last generation of Cold War kids probably heard it in high school: HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, it was said, was created by the U.S. government. Some would go further, claiming it was done to target black Americans or members of the LGBTQ community. We know, now, the claim was the fruit of a massively successful hoax by Soviet intelligence that turned a rumor into a scientific controversy. Hosts Mark Jacobson and Jim Ludes trace the history of "Operation Denver," as it was called, and the continuing use of public health crises by Russian intelligence to exploit divisions in American society.
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