Information Warfare Watch No. 50

CHINA MOBILIZES TO COUNTER STARLINK
Starlink, the satellite constellation pioneered by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has been lauded for, among other things, its potential to circumvent the censorship models of authoritarian states. That potential is one of the things that makes the emerging constellation a threat to the People's Republic of China. Even as Beijing seeks to assemble its own constellation of space-based data satellites, Chinese government officials and military scientists are brainstorming how to counter Starlink's capabilities. A growing number of papers and articles reviewed by the Associated Press have proposed a range of measures – from targeting Starlink's supply chain to deploying capabilities for space-based sabotage – to counter or neutralize the Western constellation. (Associated Press, July 31, 2025)

MOSCOW PUSHES ITS OWN MESSAGING APP
Amid ongoing pressure from the West in response to its war on Ukraine, Russian officials are seeking informational resilience – by promoting a domestic alternative to popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal, which lie beyond the control of the Kremlin. Meduza reports that Russian authorities are pushing Max, a messaging app developed by social media firm VK, which administers Russia's version of Facebook, known as vKontakte. This process has entailed disabling other messaging platforms and passing legislation mandating that Max is installed on all new mobile devices sold within the country. However, the process has not gone smoothly, Meduza reports, because Max is rife with problems, such as poor call quality, making it undesirable to ordinary Russians. (Meduza, September 3, 2025)

NORTH KOREA WEAPONIZING AI
The past year has seen an explosion of interest in – and global adoption of – artificial intelligence (AI), as "large language models" and chatbots become more capable, useful and versatile. This wave of interest has a dark side, however, as nefarious actors become increasingly versed in the technology as well. North Korea is among them. The DPRK has long used AI and "deepfakes" – artificial and misleading videos – for espionage purposes, including identity theft and misrepresentation. But, according to South Korean cybersecurity firm Genians, the use of AI and deepfakes by North Korean hackers is growing, as the Kim regime steps up informational attacks on South Korean officials, on journalists, on human rights activists, and on researchers. (Radio Free Asia, September 29, 2025)

REBALANCING AL-JAZEERA
The Gulf nation of Qatar has long harnessed its popular television channel, Al-Jazeera, as a geopolitical tool – to amplify its foreign policy worldview, promote its ideological agenda, and win Arab "hearts and minds." But the ongoing Gaza war, and Israel's recent military moves, are forcing changes in one of the most prominent tools of Qatari soft power. In the wake of Israel's targeting of Hamas officials in the Qatari capital of Doha last month, the television station is reportedly undergoing a reshuffle in its programming and priorities.

The internal changes, several journalists tell Al Hurra, are extensive. They include a more cautious approach to coverage of Gaza, which had previously been a ubiquitous fixture of the channel's programming. It also includes even closer oversight by the Qatari government, with Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani, a member of the country's ruling family and a former senior official at the Qatari Foreign Ministry, assuming the role of the channel's Director General. According to Israeli observers, the channel is even contemplating the launch of a Hebrew-language division, although plans for such an expansion have not yet been officially announced by the station. (Al-Hurra, October 2, 2025)

THE SCOPE OF HAMAS PROPAGANDA
Over the past two years, Israel's war against Hamas has been profoundly shaped by the extensive, and extremely effective, manipulation of information by the Palestinian Islamist group, which has influenced global perceptions surrounding the conflict. In late August, Israel took a significant step toward countering this informational offensive when it eliminated Abu Obeida, the group's chief propagandist and spokesperson. The extent of Abu Obeida's influence was subsequently revealed in a report by journalist Doron Kadosh on Israel's Galei Tzahal radio. Kadosh's investigation, subsequently covered widely in the Israeli press, detailed that Abu Obeida had built up a formidable propaganda apparatus for the terror group, including: some 1,500 dedicated operatives, "propaganda command centers" embedded with every Hamas brigade and division, extensive propaganda planning for every Hamas combat protocol, and even a "psychological warfare plan" directed against Israeli officials to prevent – or at least forestall – Israeli military operations in Gaza City. (X, September 5, 2025)