lauren lloris

Lauren Lloris is just one of thousands of social media accounts created to engage in what’s called an Information Operation (IO). IOs are large-scale coordinated attempts by state-affiliated actors to disrupt the flow of information in a target population or to propagandize that audience with a specific political message. Lauren was part of an Iranian IO that targeted the United Kingdom by focusing on three major topics: U.K. politics from a left-leaning position, support for Scottish independence, and support for the Palestinians in Gaza.

The IO Lauren was a part of was composed of personas that claimed to be from Great Britain – specifically England, Northern Ireland, and especially Scotland. The accounts were often individualized and included specific bio information that emphasized the persona’s location in the target country. Details like these can build trust and make the accounts seem like credible locals. Trolls in this IRGC campaign sometimes used AI to generate their profile pictures, but the majority were stolen from real people, usually young and attractive women. Troll accounts often use this tactic to increase their chances of getting views and engagement on their content.

Apart from the messaging they post on social media, these troll accounts sometimes spread wholly false information through a process called narrative laundering. Narrative laundering has three steps. The first is placement, where a false story is planted in a way that masks the true source of the information. Social media is a common tool for this step. The second step in the process is layering. This step involves purposefully repeating the story so that it is seen by real users. Layering is often done by paid influencers. Each time a false story is layered into the conversation, it adds credibility to the story and further distances the story from the source. The final step in the process is integration. This occurs when real people share the false story, and it becomes part of the organic conversation. Narrative laundering is a common tactic used by many Influence Operations and, when successful, constitutes a serious threat to the flow of information in a target population.