Table 2: Observed Strategies, Tools and Techniques of Social Media Manipulation in Kyrgyzstan Account Types Messaging and Valence Content and Platforms Communication Strategies Fake, Human Pro-government messaging, Disinformation, Trolls WhatsApp, attacks on opposition, Facebook trolling Source: Authors’ evaluations based on data collected. Blank spaces indicate no evidence was found. Organizational Capacity and Resources Analysts believe there are “probably only 25 to 30 people acting as trolls for the government”. Sergei Makarov, found of the New Media Institute, said trolls are typically freelancers in their late twenties, work as journalists, lawyers, economists or in business, are educated and politically aware, and charge $200-700 for an online campaign (Rysaliev et al., 2012). Table 3: Cyber Troop Capacity in Kyrgyzstan Team Size Resources Spent Activity Levels (USD) 25-30 Coordination Capacity Measure Low Source: Authors’ evaluations based on data collected. Blank spaces indicate no evidence was found. References Article 19. (2020, July 3). Kyrgyzstan: Law “On Manipulating Information” must be vetoed. ARTICLE 19. https://www.article19.org/resources/kyrgyzstan-law-on-manipulatinginformation-must-be-vetoed/ CPJ. (2020, January 9). Investigative journalist Bolot Temirov assaulted in Kyrgyzstan— Committee to Protect Journalists. Committee to Protect Journalists. https://cpj.org/2020/01/investigative-journalist-bolot-temirov-assaulted-i/ Freedom House. (2019). Freedom on the Net | Kyrgyzstan. Freedom House. https://freedomhouse.org/country/kyrgyzstan/freedom-net/2019 Gleicher, N. (2019, January 17). Removing Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior from Russia. About Facebook. https://about.fb.com/news/2019/01/removing-cib-from-russia/ Kaktus. (2019, June 24). В соцсетях в защиту Матраимовых заработала армия троллей и фейковых аккаунтов. Фактчек. Кактус. https://kaktus.media/doc/393387_v_socsetiah_v_zashity_matraimovyh_zarabotala_armiia _trolley_i_feykovyh_akkayntov._faktchek.html Ministry of Internal Affairs. (2018, December 29). МВД опровергает распространяемую в социальных сетях ложную и дискредитирующую информацию. https://mvd.gov.kg/index.php/rus/mass-media/all-news/item/8624-mvd-oprovergaetrasprostranyaemuyu-v-sotsialnykh-setyakh-lozhnuyu-i-diskreditiruyushchuyuinformatsiyu Reporters Without Borders. (2020). Kyrgyzstan | RSF. Reporters Without Borders. https://rsf.org/en/kyrgyzstan RFE/RL. (2019, February 7). Kyrgyz Court Jails Man For Using WhatsApp To ‘Incite Ethnic Hatred’. RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyz-court-jails-manfor-using-whatsapp-to-incite-ethnic-hatred-/29757536.html 237