“The fog of war” is an old expression that refers to the chaos and confusion of battle—when the big picture blurs, when it’s impossible for anyone to have a clear sense of what’s happening beyond the nearest foxhole or gun turret. It remains a problem despite 21st-century communication and surveillance technologies. In fact, modern wars create all new problems, and with the Russian invasion of Ukraine well into its third month, we now have to grapple with “the fog of TikTok.”

Almost as soon as the first Russian missiles landed in Ukraine, people began speaking of the attack as the “first TikTok war.” Civilians in the war zone began posting videos and livestreams of explosions and tanks rumbling by. For many people, including journalists—and perhaps even foreign intelligence agencies—TikTok became one of the primary sources of information on the war.