Report: X Identified as Primary Source of Disinformation Against EU

The social media platform X has emerged as the primary channel for disinformation campaigns targeting the European Union, according to a new report from the EU’s diplomatic service. The report reveals that a staggering 88% of analyzed disinformation content was distributed through X, formerly Twitter, which is owned by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.

The European External Action Service (EEAS) detailed its findings in “Threats of Foreign Interference and Information Manipulation,” which examined approximately 43,000 pieces of content classified as disinformation in 2025. The platform’s overwhelming dominance in this space dwarfs other social media channels, with Telegram accounting for just 3% and Facebook for 2% of identified disinformation.

Analysts attribute X’s prominence in disinformation campaigns to several factors, including “the presence of networks of coordinated inauthentic behavior, the ease of creating fake accounts, and easier access to data.” The report also notes that most major social platforms restrict access to data that would help researchers assess the full scale of information manipulation activities.

Despite X’s central role, the EEAS found that sophisticated disinformation actors typically operate across multiple platforms simultaneously. These operations often combine traditional social media posts with messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, creating an integrated approach that aims to infiltrate information ecosystems. This multi-platform strategy helps bad actors boost both visibility and perceived credibility while allowing them to target specific demographics with tailored messaging.

The report highlights a concerning trend in the growing use of artificial intelligence for disinformation activities targeting the EU, with a 259% increase compared to 2024. “Russian and Chinese actors have fully deployed AI tools to accelerate content production and increase interference activities with fewer resources,” according to the findings. European officials noted that AI technology is significantly reducing the cost of mounting these operations, making them more accessible and potentially more prevalent.

Politicians constitute the primary targets of these campaigns, representing 66% of all attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen face particular scrutiny. Rather than focusing solely on the individuals themselves, these campaigns often attack “what an individual represents,” such as democratic values, and attempt to exploit their platforms to reach specific audiences.

The targeting patterns extend beyond individuals to organizations, with political entities leading at 36% of attacks, followed by media organizations (23%) and military or security institutions (22%). Electoral periods present particularly vulnerable moments for disinformation campaigns, as do periods of social unrest or protests, which can be exploited to “feed perceptions of chaos, fear, and disorder” against local authorities.

The EEAS cautions that their report should not be considered exhaustive, as monitoring activities do not cover all regions and languages, and likely capture only “a small portion” of total disinformation activities.

This report comes at a time of increasing regulatory scrutiny of social media platforms in Europe. Under the Digital Services Act, which came into full effect last year, very large online platforms like X face enhanced obligations to combat illegal content and address systemic risks, including disinformation that threatens democratic processes.

The findings also coincide with growing international concerns about X’s content moderation policies since Musk’s acquisition of the platform in 2022, which saw significant reductions in trust and safety staff and changes to verification systems that some researchers argue have contributed to the spread of misleading information.