Marc Owen Jones (Northwestern), Dysinfluence: Transnational Deception Operations in the Middle East

CGS Virtual Seminar Series, 3 February 2026 Abstract: Dysinfluence captures the deliberate use of digital deception and manipulation in harmful information warfare. Drawing on OSINT methodologies, this work examines how Israel, evangelical-linked actors, and other covert entities deploy bots, troll farms, and coordinated inauthentic behavior to spread pro-genocidal disinformation and hate speech across the Gulf, the Middle East, Europe, and the US. From pro-RSF bots in Sudan to narratives framing Qatar as the force behind Islamic migration to Europe, the focus is on the intersection of transnational dysinfluence and geopolitics.