Carefully crafted social media posts and other online propaganda are fighting to make people around the world take sides, harden their positions and even move broader public opinion.

To understand this information war, we need to understand where and how arguments and ideologies are promoted and developed online.

Misinformation contractors

https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-dark-webs-latest-offering-disinformation-as-a-service

now make their services available on the dark web (an encrypted part of the web that makes it very difficult to identify users) to people looking to mount widespread campaigns.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/15/revealed-disinformation-team-jorge-claim-meddling-elections-tal-hanan

Inside the dark web, those developing mis- and disinformation can use techniques that are used by legitimate marketing companies in the outside world. They can experiment with messages, and test the responses they receive to them. On dark web forums, groups of activists can collaborate on messaging, imagery, timing and targeting to best effect.

Another origin of much misinformation is “troll farms”, which are staffed by government agents or their proxies in China, North Korea and Russia etc...