Discover how dictators launder their reputations and what you can do about it.
The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is proud to announce a new collaboration with Story City, an interactive storytelling app, to bring the Dictator’s Laundromat to life as a location-based digital experience.
Originally launched as a pop-up installation at SXSW 2025, the Dictator’s Laundromat explored how authoritarian regimes use wealth, influence, and propaganda to launder their reputations and entrench power. Now, through Story City’s immersive mobile app, anyone can step into the narrative.
Through this interactive journey, users will:
- Walk through each stage of reputation laundering
- Earn “Dictator Dollars” to unlock stories of corruption worldwide
- Discover how dirty money flows into politics, media, and luxury
This pilot project is part of HRF’s Combating Kleptocracy program, which shines a light on how corrupt actors around the world use illicit finance to undermine democracy and strengthen authoritarianism.
Together, we can expose how authoritarian power is preserved and imagine a future where transparency and accountability prevail.
