2020 GLOBAL INVENTORY OF ORGANIZED SOCIAL MEDIA MANIPULATION
consideration the number of government actors involved, the
experiment with a wide variety of tools and strategies for
sophistication of tools, the number of campaigns, the size and
social media manipulation. Some medium-capacity teams
permanency of teams, and budgets or expenditures made. We
conduct influence operations abroad. Medium-capacity
describe cyber troop capacity on a three-point scale:
teams include: Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain,
1.
Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cuba, Czech Republic,
High cyber troop capacity involves large numbers of
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia,
staff, and large budgetary expenditure on psychological
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia,
operations or information warfare. There might also be
Malta, Mexico, Nigeria, North Korea, Poland, Rwanda,
significant funds spent on research and development, as
South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand,
well as evidence of a multitude of techniques being used.
Turkey, and Yemen.
These teams do not only operate during elections but
involve full-time staff dedicated to shaping the information
2.
3.
Low cyber troop capacity involves small teams that may
space. High-capacity cyber troop teams focus on foreign
be active during elections or referenda but stop activity
and domestic operations. They might also dedicate funds to
until the next election cycle. Low capacity teams tend to
state-sponsored media for overt propaganda campaigns.
experiment with only a few strategies, such as using bots to
High-capacity teams include: Australia, China, Egypt,
amplify disinformation. These teams operate domestically,
India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines,
with no operations abroad. Low capacity teams include:
Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United
Angola, Argentina, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Colombia, Costa
Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Ghana,
Greece, Honduras, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Netherlands,
Medium cyber troop capacity involves teams that have
Oman, Qatar, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, South
a much more consistent form and strategy, involving
Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, and
full-time staff members who are employed year-round to
Zimbabwe.
control the information space. These medium-capacity
teams often coordinate with multiple actor types, and
TABLE 5 - CYBER TROOP CAPACITY
HIGH CAPACITY
Country
Recent
Activity
Status
Coordinated
Cybertroop Team
Resources Spent
Coordination
China
Permanent
Centralised
Egypt
Permanent
Decentralised
India
Permanent
Centralized
Iran
Permanent
Centralised
Iraq
Permanent
Somewhat Centralised
Israel
Permanent
Centralised
Myanmar
Permanent
Centralized
Pakistan
Permanent
Decentralised
Philippines
Permanent
Centralized
Russia
Permanent
Centralized
Saudi Arabia
Permanent
Centralised
Ukraine
Permanent
Centralized
United Arab Emirates
Permanent
Centralised
United Kingdom
Permanent
Decentralised
United States
Permanent
Decentralised
Venezuela
Permanent
Centralized
Permanent
Somewhat Centralised
Vietnam
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