Why Global Adversaries Use Social Media Influencers to Shift Public Opinion

Paying influencers is an easy, inexpensive, and effective way of changing public opinion, an adviser to former CIA director Bill Casey said.

In this photo illustration, a teenager uses her mobile phone to access social media in New York City on Jan. 31, 2024. illustration by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

In recent years, declining newspaper sales and falling audiences for television and radio globally has meant social media is now where many people consume news, current affairs, and opinions.

Social media influencers—who can range from singers and models to journalists and academics—have become increasingly important gatekeepers and opinion-formers.