Enablers create the conditions that allow FIMI to operate, while Incentives motivate actors to exploit those conditions
Electoral FIMI
Political institutions and practices
By definition, the primary target of electoral FIMI are elections. As outlined in the Introduction, FIMI poses multiple macro-threats to elections. When political institutions are healthy and resilient, and democratic practices consolidated, such threats are mitigated. But when political institutions suffer from weakness and shortcomings that make them vulnerable to undue influence, such threats are further exacerbated.
- Systemic vulnerabilities of democratic institutions
- Inadequate political finance regulations
News media and journalism
FIMI exploits and thrives on information poverty. Information poverty is defined as a situation in which individuals and communities do not have the requisite skills, abilities or material means to obtain efficient access to information, interpret it and apply it appropriately.
- Lack of media pluralism and independence
- Influence of foreign-aligned media
- Poor journalism and low journalistic standards
- Decline in trust in mainstream news sources
Social media
FIMI campaigns largely exploit the powerful means provided by online social media platforms and apps, and are often designed to take advantage of the specific ways in which social media users are exposed to and engage with information content.
- Fragmented digital information environments
- Exploitability of digital and social media technologies
- Inconsistent and lax moderation policies
Legal and regulatory sphere
Legal and regulatory frameworks represent an important barrier and safeguard against FIMI and electoral information manipulation in particular. But the constant evolution of technology and Internet communication makes it challenging to ensure impartial and effective governance of any information environment, especially on social media.
- Legal and regulatory sphere
- Gaps in media and internet regulations
- Unclear applicability of international norms
Profiting from the attention economy
Across the globe, the media industry increasingly operates in what experts refer to as the attention economy, where consumers’ attention is the real value and companies use various strategies to capture it in an effort to maintain profitability. This also creates economic incentives for engaging in information manipulation and FIMI.
- Engagement-driven media business model
- The online political advertising market
Access to foreign sources and resources
FIMI requires establishing influence assets in the targeted contexts. This is done through investment and development aid, which creates incentives for the local media industry as well as for other sectors of content and knowledge production to serve FIMI actors’ agendas and interests.
- Weaponisation of foreign media funding
- Availability of foreign-sourced news content
Information manipulation jobs
Information manipulation has grown into a massive and lucrative industry that offers economic incentives to a range of actors, from companies to private individuals.
- Information manipulation for hire
- Information manipulation jobs
What Enables FIMI
Foreign information manipulation and interference often takes root when structural vulnerabilities exist. These enabling factors create fertile ground for actors to step in and exploit. Some of the main enablers are:
Political institutions and practices
By definition, the primary target of electoral FIMI are elections. As outlined in the Introduction, FIMI poses multiple macro-threats to elections. When political institutions are healthy and resilient, and democratic practices consolidated, such threats are mitigated. But when political institutions suffer from weakness and shortcomings that make them vulnerable to undue influence, such threats are further exacerbated.
- Systemic vulnerabilities of democratic institutions
- Inadequate political finance regulations
Social, political and cultural environment
Although it primarily targets political processes, election-related FIMI does not happen in isolation from broader social, political and cultural dynamics and trends. On the contrary, FIMI actors leverage, exploit and seek to shape them in order to achieve their manipulative purposes.
- Systemic vulnerabilities of democratic institutions Inadequate political finance regulations
- Presence of domestic proxies
- Audience susceptibility to manipulation
News media and journalism
FIMI exploits and thrives on information poverty. Information poverty is defined as a situation in which individuals and communities do not have the requisite skills, abilities or material means to obtain efficient access to information, interpret it and apply it appropriately.
- Lack of media pluralism and independence
- Influence of foreign-aligned media
- Poor journalism and low journalistic standards
- Decline in trust in mainstream news sources
Social media
FIMI campaigns largely exploit the powerful means provided by online social media platforms and apps, and are often designed to take advantage of the specific ways in which social media users are exposed to and engage with information content.
- Fragmented digital information environments
- Exploitability of digital and social media technologies
- Inconsistent and lax moderation policies
Legal and regulatory sphere
Legal and regulatory frameworks represent an important barrier and safeguard against FIMI and electoral information manipulation in particular. But the constant evolution of technology and Internet communication makes it challenging to ensure impartial and effective governance of any information environment, especially on social media.
- Legal and regulatory sphere
- Gaps in media and internet regulations
- Unclear applicability of international norms
What Incentivises FIMI
The motivations are diverse, ranging from strategic to financial. These incentives drive activity and make manipulation profitable or effective.
Profiting from the attention economy
Across the globe, the media industry increasingly operates in what experts refer to as the attention economy, where consumers’ attention is the real value and companies use various strategies to capture it in an effort to maintain profitability. This also creates economic incentives for engaging in information manipulation and FIMI.
- Engagement-driven media business model
- The online political advertising market
Access to foreign sources and resources
FIMI requires establishing influence assets in the targeted contexts. This is done through investment and development aid, which creates incentives for the local media industry as well as for other sectors of content and knowledge production to serve FIMI actors’ agendas and interests.
- Weaponisation of foreign media funding
- Availability of foreign-sourced news content
Information manipulation jobs
Information manipulation has grown into a massive and lucrative industry that offers economic incentives to a range of actors, from companies to private individuals.
- Information manipulation for hire
- Information manipulation jobs
Social, political and cultural environment
Although it primarily targets political processes, election-related FIMI does not happen in isolation from broader social, political and cultural dynamics and trends. On the contrary, FIMI actors leverage, exploit and seek to shape them in order to achieve their manipulative purposes.