Episode #12: Intro to Lies - China, Iran, and North Korea (Disinformation Part Two)

Dissecting Global Disinformation: Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea

This episode of 'Propaganda Loves You' delves into the origins and mechanics of disinformation and propaganda by examining the tactics used by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Hosts Kodie, Arthur, and Joe discuss various strategies for spreading disinformation, including high-volume content, fake news sites, AI-generated material, and covert social media campaigns. The script provides detailed insights into the sources of this disinformation, such as the Hudson Institute, Merrick Institute, Graphica, and the Atlantic Council, and addresses the potential societal impacts of AI in this evolving landscape. The episode concludes by discussing the implications of AI deregulation on disinformation campaigns and underscores the urgent need for regulatory measures.

00:00 Introduction and Hosts

00:37 Main Topic: Global Disinformation

01:25 Focus on China: Sources and Strategies

05:43 China's Covert and Overt Tactics

13:08 China's Discourse Power and TikTok Controversy

20:11 Iran's Regional Propaganda Efforts

24:09 Iran's Disinformation Tactics

24:42 Iran's Cyber Activities

25:17 Iran's Ideological Disinformation

26:15 Discussion on Foreign Influence

30:28 North Korea's Internal Propaganda

34:33 North Korea's Cyber Operations

39:40 The Future of AI in Disinformation

44:55 Conclusion and Next Steps

References on Chinese Disinformation

Bond, S. (2023, April 21). Twitter strips 'state-affiliated' and 'government-funded' labels from some media. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2023/04/21/1171236695/twitter-strips-state-affiliated-government-funded-labels-from-npr-rt-china

Cadell, C. (2020, March 13). China spokesman says U.S. army might have brought coronavirus to Wuhan. Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/china-government-spokesman-says-us-army-might-have-brought-virus-to-china-idUSKBN20Z2HJ

Davidson, H. (2021, January 20). China revives conspiracy theory of US army link to Covid. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/20/china-revives-conspiracy-theory-of-us-army-link-to-covid

Drinhausen, K., Legarda, H., Chimits, F., Vigneron, N., Gunter, J., & Alia, K. (2023, December 14). Image control: How China struggles for discourse power. MERICS. Retrieved from https://merics.org/en/report/image-control-how-china-struggles-discourse-power

Graphika. (2019, September). Spamouflage: How an Inauthentic Pro-Chinese Network Evolved to Target the Xinjiang Critic Adrian Zenz, the Hong Kong Protests, and the Guo Wengui Movement. Retrieved from https://public assets.graphika.com/reports/graphika_report_spamouflage.pdf

Meta. (2023). Adversarial Threat Report, Second Quarter 2023. Retrieved from https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/29/NEAR-FINAL-DRAFT-Meta-Quarterly-Adversarial-Threat-Report-Q2-2023.pdf

Milmo, D. (2022, November 7). TikTok admits some staff in China can access US user data. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/nov/07/tiktoks-china-bytedance-data-concerns

Thibaut, K. (2022, November). Chinese Discourse Power: Ambitions and Reality in the Digital Domain. Atlantic Council. Retrieved from https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Chinese-Discourse-Power-Ambitions-and-Reality-in-the-Digital-Domain.pdf

Yu, M. (2024, April 18). Discourse Power: The CCP’s Strategy to Shape the Global Information Space. Hudson Institute. Retrieved from https://www.hudson.org/foreign-policy/discourse-power-ccp-strategy-shape-global-information-space-house-select-committee-miles-yu

References on Iranian Disinformation

The New Global Order. (2025, March 14). Rise in Digital Influence Operations: An Analysis into Iranian Disinformation Campaigns. Retrieved from https://thenewglobalorder.com/world-news/rise-in-digital-influence-operations-an-analysis-into-iranian-disinformation-campaigns/

JURIST. (2024, March 9). UN report alleges human rights violations by Iran government during Mahsa Amini protests. Jurist.org. Retrieved from https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/03/un-report-alleges-human-rights-violations-by-iran-government-during-mahsa-amini-protests/

Citizen Lab. (2019, May 14). Burned After Reading: Endless Mayfly's Ephemeral Disinformation Campaign. Retrieved from https://citizenlab.ca/2019/05/burned-after-reading-endless-mayflys-ephemeral-disinformation-campaign/

Office of the Director of National Intelligence. (2021, March 10). Foreign Threats to the 2020 U.S. Federal Elections (ICA-declass-16MAR21). DNI.gov. Retrieved from https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ICA-declass-16MAR21.pdf

NPR. (2024, August 9). Microsoft detects fake news sites linked to Iran aimed at meddling in U.S. election. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2024/08/09/nx-s1-5069317/iran-interfere-presidential-election-microsoft-report  

U.S. Department of the Treasury. (2024, September 27). Treasury Sanctions Entities in Iran and Russia That Attempted to Interfere in the U.S. 2024 Election. Retrieved from https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2766  

BBC News. (2020, January 5). Soleimani: US federal site hacked with pro-Iranian message. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51008811

CBS News. (2020, January 4). Iran: Hackers briefly deface website for U.S. government library with pro-Iranian message. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-hackers-briefly-deface-website-for-u-s-government-library-with-pro-iranian-message/

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. (2022, November 1). How Longstanding Iranian Disinformation Tactics Target Protests. Retrieved from https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/how-longstanding-iranian-disinformation-tactics-target-protests  

U.S. Department of State. (2020, March 23). Iran: COVID-19 Disinformation Fact Sheet. Retrieved from https://2017-2021.state.gov/iran-covid-19-disinformation-fact-sheet/

References on North Korean Disinformation and Cyber activities.

Coffee or Die Magazine. (2022, January 18). North Korea Claims Its 'Great Leader' Invented Burritos — We've Got Jokes. Retrieved from https://www.coffeeordie.com/article/north-korea-burrito

Latino Rebels. (2022, January 11). LULAC Blasted for 'North Korean Burrito' Statement. Retrieved from https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/01/11/lulacburrito/

CBS News. (2011, December 19). Kim Jong Il: 10 weird facts, propaganda. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/media/kim-jong-il-10-weird-facts-propaganda/

Brookings Institution. (2020, April 13). A tale of two Koreas in the age of coronavirus. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-tale-of-two-koreas-in-the-age-of-coronavirus/

TRADOC G2 Operational Environment Enterprise. (n.d.). North Korean Media Stays Quiet Despite Global Concerns. Retrieved from https://oe.tradoc.army.mil/product/north-korean-media-stays-quiet-despite-global-concerns/  

KCNA Watch. (n.d.). Rodong Sinmun on Regional Long-term Development. Retrieved from https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1747062177-924769147/rodong-sinmun-on-regional-long-term-development  

Mandiant (Google Cloud). (2023, March 28). APT43: North Korean Group Uses Cybercrime to Fund Espionage Operations. Retrieved from https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/apt43-north-korea-cybercrime-espionage

Riley, T. (2023, March 28). North Korean hackers turn to 'cloud mining' for crypto to avoid law enforcement scrutiny. CyberScoop. Retrieved from https://cyberscoop.com/north-korean-hackers-cloud-mining-cyrptocurrency/

Digital Watch Observatory. (2025, April 25). North Korean hackers create fake US firms to target crypto developers. Retrieved from https://dig.watch/updates/north-korean-hackers-create-fake-us-firms-to-target-crypto-developers  

Coker, J. (2025, February 6). Lazarus Group Targets Bitdefender Researcher with LinkedIn Recruiting Scam. Infosecurity Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/lazarus-bitdefender-linkedin-scam/

Osavul. (n.d.). North Korea Disinformation Detection and Monitoring Solution. Retrieved from https://www.osavul.cloud/north-korea-disinformation-detection

Lee, J. S., & Lee, S. H. (2024, June). The Evolution of North Korea's Cyber Influence Operations and Its Implications. INSS. Retrieved from https://inss.re.kr/upload/bbs/BBSA05/202406/F20240620130910170.pdf

Irregular Warfare Initiative. (2024, August 1). Eroding Global Stability: The Cybersecurity Strategies Of China, Russia, North Korea, And Iran. Retrieved from https://irregularwarfare.org/articles/eroding-global-stability-the-cybersecurity-strategies-of-china-russia-north-korea-and-iran/

American Hospital Association (AHA). (2024, May 2). TLP Clear Cybersecurity Advisory: North Korean Actors Exploit Weak DMARC Security Policies to Mask Spearphishing Efforts. Retrieved from https://www.aha.org/cybersecurity-government-intelligence-reports/2024-05-02-tlp-clear-cybersecurity-advisory-north-korean-actors-exploit-weak