The Seven Commandments of Disinformation (also called the "Seven Commandments of Fake News" ) come directly from the New York Times Opinion video series Operation InfeKtion: How Russia Perfected the Art of War (2018). In the second episode, titled "The Seven Commandments of Fake News," the filmmakers, Adam Ellick and Adam Westbrook, reverse-engineer the Soviet KGB's playbook for crafting and spreading effective disinformation. They draw from historical active measures (dezinformatsiya), defector accounts, and modern examples like the Pizzagate conspiracy to show how these timeless rules still apply in the digital age.

The series frames them as a "step-by-step recipe" for creating viral, durable lies that exploit societal cracks, launder narratives through seemingly independent sources, and evade debunking. Here's a clear breakdown of the seven commandments, based on the documentary's presentation:

1. Find the Cracks (or "Split the Society" ) (the Jews)
Identify and exploit existing divisions, grievances, fears, or sore points in the target society, racial tensions, political polarization, distrust of institutions, economic inequality, or cultural anxieties. The KGB playbook emphasized targeting "fault lines" where people were already angry or suspicious. Modern echo: Amplifying U.S. racial divides or anti-vaccine sentiments to deepen fractures.

2. Create a Big Lie
Craft a bold, outrageous claim that's emotionally charged and memorable. It should be simple enough to repeat but shocking enough to grab attention. The lie doesn't need to be entirely new; it can build on half-truths or rumors. Example from the series: The core AIDS-as-U.S.-bioweapon hoax was a "big lie" wrapped around real fears of the emerging epidemic.

3. Wrap the Lie in Truth
Embed the falsehood in verifiable facts to give it credibility. Include accurate details (dates, names, locations), so fact-checkers find partial truth, making the whole story harder to dismiss outright. This is why successful disinformation often feels "plausible"; it's not 100% fiction. The documentary highlights how Soviet plants cited real U.S. bioweapons research facilities like Fort Detrick to lend legitimacy.

4. Conceal Your Hand (or "Hide the Source" )
Never let the origin trace back to you. Plant stories in obscure or third-party outlets (friendly newspapers, anonymous letters, proxy agents), then let them "echo" through independent media. This creates plausible deniability. Classic KGB tactic: Start in a small Indian paper, then have Soviet outlets cite it as "foreign reporting."

5. Find the Dupes (or "Use Willing Amplifiers" )
Recruit or leverage sympathetic figures, journalists, activists, politicians, influencers, who will spread the narrative voluntarily because it aligns with their beliefs or agendas. They become unwitting (or witting) multipliers. In today's terms: Troll farms, partisan media, or social media influencers who pick up and run with the story.

6. Deny Everything
When confronted, flatly deny involvement, attack the accusers, or shift blame ("It's Western propaganda!" ). Sow confusion by claiming the story is being suppressed or that critics are part of a cover-up. The KGB's response to U.S. exposés was consistent denial until diplomatic pressure forced a quiet retreat in 1987.

7. Play the Long Game
Disinformation isn't about quick wins: it's about sustained erosion of trust over years or decades. Invest resources patiently; a seed planted today may bear fruit much later. The series notes how Soviet-era tactics persist in modern Russian operations because the goal is cumulative chaos, not immediate victory.

These rules aren't a literal KGB memo but a distilled framework derived from declassified documents, interviews with former agents (such as Yuri Bezmenov), U.S. counter-disinformation experts (e.g., Todd Leventhal from the Active Measures Working Group), and analysis of campaigns such as Operation Denver (the AIDS hoax).

Why They Matter Today

The documentary uses Pizzagate (2016) as a case study: It exploited fears about elite corruption (#1), made a wild claim about child trafficking in a pizza shop (#2), wrapped it in leaked Podesta emails (#3), spread via anonymous 4chan/Reddit posts and WikiLeaks (#4), got amplified by right-wing outlets and figures (#5), faced denials and counter-accusations (#6), and lingers in conspiracy circles years later (#7).

The same pattern appears in election interference, COVID-19 origin claims, George Soros conspiracies, and more. The series argues that while the internet accelerates the spread (no need for slow newspaper plants), the core Soviet formula remains unchanged—and dangerously effective.

It's a gripping, animated breakdown with archival footage. The entire Operation InfeKtion trilogy is essential viewing for understanding how disinformation evolves from Cold War "active measures" to today's hybrid warfare.