Renée DiResta's new book Invisible Rulers: The People who Turn Lies into Reality explores the machinery and the dynamics of the interplay between influencers, algorithms, and online crowds. Anyone who wishes to destroy legitimate political and social power now has a new weapon, at the confluence of the rumour mill and traditional propaganda. It shapes public opinion, often in a violently toxic manner, undermining the legitimacy of institutions that make society, and wields an unprecedented degree of influence on the destinies of millions of people. While propagandists position themselves as trustworthy Davids, their reach, influence, and economics make them classic Goliaths—invisible rulers who create bespoke realities to revolutionize politics, culture, and society. Their work is driven by a simple maxim: if you make it trend, you make it true.

Together with the author, we will probe the radical shift of power currently taking place as invisible rulers create bespoke realities revolutionizing politics, culture, and society.

Renée DiResta is a social media researcher and the author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality. She studies adversarial abuse online, ranging from state actors running influence operations, to spammers and scammers, to issues related to child safety. In October 2024, she joined the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy as an Associate Research Professor. Renée has advised Congress, the White House, state legislatures, and business organizations on issues related to technology and policy and is a contributor at The Atlantic and numerous other journals.

Audrey Borowski is a research fellow between the Universities of Bonn and Cambridge. She received her PhD from the University of Oxford and is a regular contributor to the Times Literary Supplement and Aeon. Her first monograph Leibniz in His World: The Making of a Savant was published by Princeton University Press.