Matthew Cox | Inside True Crime Podcast CIA Spy on Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk, & Foreign Interference
Dec 2, 2025
Charles Finfrock, a former intelligence officer specializing in online radicalization, dives deep into the mechanisms of foreign interference and political violence. He shares insights on how social media platforms can breed extremism and examines the vulnerabilities of young adults in these contexts. Discussion includes the role of algorithms amplifying radical content and the tactics used by state-sponsored actors to groom potential recruits. Plus, they explore the psychological profiles of recent attackers and innovative ways to intervene and deradicalize individuals.
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Online Recruitment Enables Remote Radicalization
- Foreign actors can recruit and radicalize individuals entirely online using microtargeting and gaming platforms.
- Charles Finfrock says recruitment, training, payment, and crypto transfers can all occur without physical travel.
Ad-Tech Lets Operators Find Vulnerable Targets
- Microtargeting tools let operators find narrow demographics by age, location, interests, and income.
- Finfrock compares modern ad-tech to Cambridge Analytica-style targeting used for influence operations.
Shared Forums Link Diverse Attacks
- Multiple recent shooters shared online communities and radicalizing forums tied to gender and identity topics.
- Finfrock highlights those shared echo chambers as a common thread among attackers.
