StratCom Lunch with Magnus Ranstorp
Please join us at the Center for Statecraft and Strategic Communication for an informal lunch seminar with Magnus Ranstorp, Associate Professor in Political Science and a terrorism researcher at the Swedish Defence University.
Magnus Ranstorp has, over the last three decades, specialized in Hizballah and Hamas and other militant Islamist movements. He is a board member of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and a former special advisor at the EU's Radicalisation Awareness Network. He is also a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences.
He will be speaking about his research on the LVU campaign which was aimed at Swedish social services and their work under the Law on the Care of Young People (LVU). This is a key example of how disinformation campaigns can take root locally and spread globally. It quickly mobilized support within Sweden, gaining international attention through social media, where actors amplified false claims that Swedish authorities were systematically abducting and assimilating Muslim children. A significant factor in its spread was the involvement of a Swedish Facebook group, which organized protests, and international influencers like Shuounislamiya, who escalated the campaign worldwide. This study, conducted by the Swedish Defence University, examines the origins, structure, and spread of the campaign, highlighting the collaboration between domestic and international actors and its broader impact on Swedish societal security.
The study was awarded The Golden Magnifying Glass (2024) - an award presented by the Internet Foundation on Källkritikens dag (Source Criticism Day). The award recognizes individuals, organizations, or initiatives that have made significant contributions to promoting source criticism and combating misinformation.
A light lunch will be served before the seminar.
Seats are limited and registration is required.