By Nayara Güércio
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The beginning of a new year often marks a point of transition. For the ATHENA Project, it also signals the start of its final year, and the moment when years of research are brought together to inform those working to protect democratic life.
This moment signals not a conclusion, but a response to the changing ways power is exercised through information. The response is a book shaped by thorough investigation, developed to address the information battles influencing democratic life.
Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference: Case Studies From the ATHENA Project
Information has always shaped power. What has changed is the scale, speed, and coordination with which it can now be manipulated. Elections are influenced without borders. Public debate is distorted in real time. Trust in institutions is steadily weakened, often without a single visible actor behind the disruption.
These challenges form the starting point of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference: Case Studies From the ATHENA Project, a new book published by Springer and developed through the EU funded ATHENA Project. Edited by Dr David Wright, the volume brings together the work of 33 experts from across the ATHENA consortium to examine how foreign information manipulation and interference, commonly referred to as FIMI, operates across the globe.
Rather than treating disinformation as an abstract concern, the book follows its real world trajectories. It traces who is behind these campaigns, who they target, and how information is strategically deployed to influence democratic life across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
Why this conversation cannot wait
Foreign information manipulation is no longer episodic or experimental. It has become a sustained practice used by both state and non-state actors to influence political processes, reshape public narratives, and erode institutional trust. Countries including Russia, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, North Korea, and India are identified as active agents in this landscape.
Ukraine stands as one of the most striking examples. There, information warfare has unfolded alongside military action, showing how narrative control and political influence now operate in tandem with conventional conflict. But Ukraine is not alone. Across Europe and beyond, democratic systems are facing similar pressures, often through less visible but no less effective means.
Until now, there has been no single publication dedicated exclusively to documenting and analysing FIMI through a global, comparative lens. This book arrives at a moment when shared understanding and coordinated responses are urgently needed.
What this book offers
- Stories grounded in evidence
At the heart of the volume are 32 case studies that map real FIMI operations across multiple regions. Each case examines who carried out the activity, who was targeted, which communication channels were used, and how the campaigns unfolded in practice.
- A clear analytical framework
The book introduces a structured methodology for studying foreign information manipulation and interference. This framework allows researchers and practitioners to move beyond isolated examples and towards consistent analysis that can be applied across contexts.
- Understanding how FIMI works
Readers are guided through a detailed typology of tactics, techniques, and procedures used in contemporary FIMI campaigns. These range from coordinated messaging strategies to emerging forms of synthetic media, helping readers recognise patterns and adapt responses.
- From insight to action
The final chapters draw together findings from 20 expert interviews and translate them into concrete recommendations. Policymakers, legislators, civil society organisations, researchers, and fact checkers will find guidance aimed at strengthening democratic resilience through cooperation, digital literacy, and adaptive policy responses.
Why ATHENA’s perspective matters
This book is rooted in the work of our very own ATHENA Project, a Horizon Europe funded initiative focused on strengthening Europe’s capacity to detect, analyse, and counter foreign information manipulation and interference. ATHENA brings together social science, technological research, and policy expertise to address one of the most pressing challenges facing democratic societies.
Under the coordination of Dr David Wright, Director and Chief Research Officer at Trilateral Research, ATHENA has developed an evidence-led approach that connects academic research with practical decision-making.
This publication reflects our approach and, above all, our mission! The book serves as a practical resource for those charged with protecting democratic processes as information manipulation becomes an established instrument of power.
One to add to your reading list for sure!
Get the book here: Springer
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Posted by: Nayara Güércio (Trilateral Research)