Behind the scenes of propaganda: why beauty influencers suddenly start talking about politics

An analysis by the Lithuanian company Repsense has revealed that pro-Russian narratives are being systematically spread on social media, often intertwined with content from local politicians, reports LRT.lt.

According to Alfredas Chmieliauskas, co-founder of Repsense, these campaigns are coordinated from Moscow but executed through local channels, including beauty influencers and commercial pages. The propaganda is adapted to the local context, focusing on themes such as criticism of the government, value-based discussions, and the war in Ukraine.

Chmieliauskas explains that organic discussions on social media are chaotic and decentralised, with diverse opinions. In contrast, inauthentic narratives follow clear scripts, are highly organised, and are spread by small but highly productive groups. For example, just six groups, with around 300 members, generated approximately 60,000 posts and 20,000 comments over three months. Many of these messages are copied or slightly altered, sometimes using artificial intelligence to vary the wording.

The most effective way to counter such propaganda, Chmieliauskas suggests, is to respond to the spread messages, promote better narratives, and monitor and analyse the dissemination to uncover potential financial ties.