Moldova's upcoming parliamentary election is being heavily influenced by AI-driven disinformation campaigns attributed to Russia, aiming to undermine support for the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). The disinformation efforts include fake news websites and social media posts created using AI tools to spread false information about PAS and the EU. These efforts are designed to appear legitimate, making it challenging for citizens to distinguish fact from fiction.
The disinformation campaigns are using advanced tactics, including "engagement farms" in Africa to amplify pro-Russian narratives and AI bots to flood comment sections with anti-EU and anti-PAS rhetoric. Spoof websites are impersonating legitimate Western media outlets, publishing Kremlin-aligned propaganda attacking the Moldovan government and the EU. Networks of fake accounts on platforms like TikTok and Facebook are spreading anti-EU and anti-Sandu content, leveraging sophisticated tactics to manipulate algorithms and boost visibility.
Pro-Russian Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor is accused of funding a large Russia-backed network of paid political ads on Facebook and YouTube ahead of the election. Shor has denied wrongdoing. Reset Tech, a global not-for-profit organization monitoring digital threats to democracy and Russian online influence operations, has been tracking these efforts.
Google has terminated over 1,000 channels on YouTube since June 2024 for being part of coordinated influence operations targeting Moldova. Moldovan authorities are working to counter the disinformation campaign, with President Maia Sandu signing a decree establishing a center to combat disinformation.
The use of AI in information warfare poses a significant threat to democratic institutions and processes, highlighting the need for robust countermeasures and international cooperation. The potential for AI-powered disinformation campaigns to be used in other countries raises concerns about the impact on global stability and the integrity of information ecosystems.
