A Lawfare Archive episode from Oct. 16, 2024, examines the Russian influence campaign known as Doppelganger with scholar Thomas Rid. The discussion focuses on how the operation worked and why it drew renewed attention after U.S. authorities released new material about it.
According to the episode description, the U.S. Justice Department disclosed a large set of information in early September about Doppelganger, a Kremlin-backed effort tied to online influence activity. The campaign is described as creating fake versions of recognizable news websites and using them to spread misleading material across the internet.
The conversation appears aimed at helping listeners make sense of the structure and purpose of the Doppelganger disinformation operation. By centering on imitation news sites and the mechanics of distribution, the episode highlights how influence campaigns can exploit familiar media brands to make false or manipulated content look credible.
With Thomas Rid providing context, the Lawfare segment frames the Justice Department's disclosures as part of a broader effort to explain modern information warfare. The result is a focused overview of a Russian disinformation campaign that blended spoofed news outlets, coordinated messaging, and deceptive online tactics.
