African troll networks targeting Sweden ahead of elections

A network of thousands of troll accounts, primarily based in West African nations such as Nigeria, Benin, Ivory Coast, and Ghana, is targeting Swedish users ahead of elections. Investigations by Trollrensics and Alliance4europe, in collaboration with SVT, reveal that these accounts use stolen images and fabricated Swedish-sounding names to follow real users across platforms like X and Facebook.

Experts warn that these operations can significantly distort public perception. Mohsen Mosleh of Oxford University noted that such networks can manipulate which political issues gain visibility, leading politicians and journalists to draw false conclusions about public opinion. Analysts from Trollrensics and Clemson University suggest these activities may be funded by Russian interests, describing the accounts as a mercenary army used to spread extremist content and influence political discourse.