Signs of a new world order: Italy as the COVID-19 disinformation

Abstract

When Italy became the western center of the COVID-19 outbreak, it also became the focus of a series of states-sponsored coordinated disinformation campaigns. From early March through May 2020, disinformation operations in the country have increased noticeably, showing evidence of evolving strategies from multiple state actors geared towards reshaping the narrative of the global COVID-19 crisis and pushing forward geopolitical interests. Such campaigns may be a sign of things to come with Italy as a critical battleground subject to state-sponsored disinformation operations, acting as a gauge of power relations particularly between the United States, Russia, the EU, and China.