Abstract

Social media platforms like Twitter (now X) have become powerful arenas for state-backed and affiliated cyberwarfare, propaganda, and influence operations. As one of the first comparative studies, this talk uncovers digital propaganda tactics employed by non-state actors within state-sponsored campaigns across multiple countries. Drawing on over 2.8 million tweets from more than 1,400 state-backed accounts in the X Moderation Research Consortium dataset, we identify three core strategies used to advance distinct political objectives:

• a) Sustained narrative control – maintaining a long-term presence across global information spaces while targeting diaspora communities to project regime legitimacy and policy priorities;
• b) Prepositioned and disruptive campaigns – building account networks in advance of major events to maximize disruption and enable foreign interference during elections, crises, or geopolitical conflicts;
• c) Flash mobilization – rapidly activating short-lived accounts for high-intensity bursts around domestic political flashpoints that attract international attention.

These strategies are further operationalized through three digital propaganda tactics: a) Reservoir tactic – maintaining pools of sleeper accounts that can be selectively activated during key events; b) Prepositioned surge – preparing and coordinating account activity in advance for targeted interference; c) Flash mobilization – launching brief, high-output campaigns with tightly synchronized messaging. This pioneering research enhances our understanding of modern state-backed propaganda by mapping tactics across timing, network structures, and narrative coordination. It provides actionable insights for governments, platform regulators, researchers, and civil society actors aiming to detect and counter digital propaganda in real time. The findings underscore the importance of moving beyond bot detection and confronting the hybrid, adaptive, and human-led nature of today’s propaganda ecosystems.

About the Speaker

Jun Liu is an award-winning scholar and Associate Professor at the Center for Tracking and Society and the Department of Communication, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is also a Research Affiliate at the Center on Digital Culture and Society at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Liu has served as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI on research projects funded by public and private bodies in Denmark, as well as international funding agencies, with a total grant portfolio of approximately 1 million EUR. He has authored over 60 publications in leading international journals across social science fields—including communication, sociology, and political science—as well as in data science. His work extends beyond academia, contributing to policy analysis, media commentary, and invited public talks and keynote speeches on digital society, data governance, and civic engagement.

He holds leadership roles in prominent international academic associations, including the European Communication Research and Education Association and the European Consortium for Political Research. His scholarship has been recognized with awards from the American Political Science Association and the International Communication Association.