Kompromat

Kompromat (, short for , variously translated as "compromising material", "discrediting material", or "incriminating material") is damaging information about a person or a group, commonly a politician, businessperson, or other public figure, which may be used for negative campaigning or smear campaigning to discredit the person or group. It can also be used for blackmail purposes, often to exert influence over a person rather than for monetary gain, and extortion. In English it is also called "dark PR" or "black PR". Kompromat may be acquired from security agencies or intelligence agencies, or outright forged, and then publicized, e.g., via a public relations official.

== Etymology == The term is borrowed from the Russian NKVD slang term from the Stalin era, which is short for "compromising material" (). It refers to disparaging information that can be collected, stored, traded, or used strategically across all domains: political, electoral, legal, professional, judicial, media, and business. The information may be truthful, fictional, or a mix of both, including presenting information out of context. The origins of the term in Russian trace back to 1930s secret police jargon. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the first known use in English was in 1990.