The same accounts shared misinformation about Southport • “They are actively looking for examples”
A film from the murder of the 14-year-old girl in Landskrona in July has been spread internationally.
But the film is being used for propaganda purposes, and is now being spread with false information that Muslims are behind the murder.
– They are actively looking for examples and events to substantiate claims that Europe is under attack by immigrants and mainly Muslims. The accounts often attribute events to a distorted context, says Andrea Lidman, analyst at the Psychological Defense Agency.
At the end of July, the 14-year-old girl was found dead in Landskrona. Three people are suspected of involvement in the murder, one of them is under 14 years old.
After the murder, a film has circulated on social media that is said to show the murder.
Used for propaganda purposes
The film has now gained international distribution and is used for propaganda purposes.
– It is a violent clip from the murder in Landskrona. It is spread like propaganda, says Andrea Lidman, analyst at the Agency for Psychological Defense.
According to Lidman, the clips have been spread on several different platforms, but above all on X, formerly Twitter.
– Claims have been shared that the 14-year-old victim was murdered by Muslims. Far-right accounts spread this. We also saw that far-right accounts spread hateful and misleading messages in connection with the events in Southport in the UK, says Lidman.
The same accounts shared misinformation about Southport
The same accounts that spread incorrect information that a Muslim migrant was behind the knife attack in Southport have been driving the spread of the clip from Landskrona.
– We see certain parallels with the English handling, that it is faked information that can spark anxiety in society between different groups, says Per Engström, section manager at the police’s national operational department, Noa.
He believes that the clip can create different types of currents in society, if it were to be widely distributed. The Swedish police are now cooperating with Europol to stop the spread and find who is behind it.
– We have had an image of Sweden as familiar with Koran burnings. We are keen that it does not happen again, even when we have a terrorist threat against Sweden, says Per Engström.
Spread to the greatest extent on X
The Agency for Psychological Defense works to monitor foreign powers that direct propaganda, disinformation or misleading information against Sweden. The accounts that shared the clip with misleading information are mostly anonymous and appear to originate in Europe or the US.
According to Lidman, dissemination usually takes place on platform X. This after the platform opened up to more controversial accounts.
– They are actively looking for examples and events to substantiate claims that Europe is under attack by immigrants and mainly Muslims. The accounts often attribute events to a distorted context, says Andrea Lidman.