NATO research involves online influence and social media manipulation

NATO has reportedly conducted research into online influence techniques, including the use of fake profiles and the purchase of social media engagement. An investigation by RT’s ‘America Now’ program, featuring Ben Swann and Elizabeth Lane, examined NATO’s promotional materials and published studies regarding social media manipulation.

The report highlights two 2019 experiments conducted by NATO strategic communication researchers. In one test, researchers created fake Facebook pages and profiles to collect public information on military personnel and used targeted advertising to reach them. This experiment reportedly identified approximately 150 soldiers, tracked troop movements, and attempted to induce actions contrary to orders.

A second experiment involved spending 300 euros to artificially increase engagement, resulting in over 3,500 comments, 25,000 likes, 20,000 views, and 5,000 followers. The study identified more than 18,000 accounts involved in generating this fake engagement. NATO has described these activities as defensive research intended to identify online threats.