A major new publication, Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference: Case Studies from the ATHENA Project, has been released by Springer, marking a significant milestone in efforts to understand and counter the fast-evolving threat of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).
Edited by ATHENA project coordinator Dr David Wright, the book draws on 32 real-world case studies and 20 expert interviews to show how state and non-state actors weaponise information to influence and undermine democratic processes. It includes analysis of activity linked to Russia, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, North Korea and India, mapping out perpetrators, targets, disinformation channels and the countermeasures used against them.
A key strength of the volume is its detailed examination of the tactics, techniques and procedures behind modern disinformation operations including emerging deepfake text, image, audio and video manipulation.
The book is a major output of ATHENA, a three-year, €3.1 million EU-funded project under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme. The initiative brings together 14 partners, including ADAPT researchers Professor Owen Conlan (Trinity College Dublin) and Professor Brendan Spillane (University College Dublin). ATHENA represents a strategic EU response to the growing threat of FIMI, with the project’s findings offering important guidance for strengthening democratic resilience across Europe.
Purchase the book here.
