There are a couple of odd things about the elusive "gregoratior" who posted the UK-US trade leaks on Reddit (h/t @Gmvolpi and @MarkDiStef for their digging).
The first is the redditor's use of English, which seems non-native.
(Post made on Sep. 19: archive.ph/eAm5D)
The first is the redditor's use of English, which seems non-native.
(Post made on Sep. 19: archive.ph/eAm5D)
"A hotspot of the US politics."
It's very slight, but phrases like this read like a non-native speaker.
(Post made on Sep. 23: archive.ph/quQ5f)
It's very slight, but phrases like this read like a non-native speaker.
(Post made on Sep. 23: archive.ph/quQ5f)
When you start looking into the use of language, some of the wording in the main article seems uncomfortable with "a" and "the", too.
"thus placing UK 'take it or leave it' position".
Could just be telegraphic English, but it's odd.
"thus placing UK 'take it or leave it' position".
Could just be telegraphic English, but it's odd.
This peroration, too.
"From betraying partners and the interests of own citizens."
"From betraying partners and the interests of own citizens."
The "Gregoratior" persona really hasn't left enough evidence for a conclusive analysis.
As @Gmvolpi pointed out, the persona's also on Before It's News, a popular site for disinformation campaigns. It posted four stories there, including the leak.
As @Gmvolpi pointed out, the persona's also on Before It's News, a popular site for disinformation campaigns. It posted four stories there, including the leak.
Problem is, three of those stories were copied from elsewhere.
The earliest was taken from @MiddleEastEye's @IanCobain.
The earliest was taken from @MiddleEastEye's @IanCobain.
The second one was originally posted by a user called "b" on Moon of Alabama, another common site for disinfo.
The third one came from "b" on Moon of Alabama too.
This wasn't exactly covert, as the source links were at the end of the posts. But it means that we don't have much original language from "Gregoratior" to go on.
This wasn't exactly covert, as the source links were at the end of the posts. But it means that we don't have much original language from "Gregoratior" to go on.
There's not much to go on in the associated Twitter account, either. It was created on October 2, just after the Before It's News account started posting.
Hashtagged #StopBrexit. Profile pic taken from Romain Laurent: romain-laurent.com/Burnout
Hashtagged #StopBrexit. Profile pic taken from Romain Laurent: romain-laurent.com/Burnout
(There are rumours that the Twitter account was suspended. They're wrong. @gregoriator is suspended, @gregoratior is not.)
The only thing the Twitter account did was post the Reddit link to dozens of Labour and LibDem MPs, mainstream media, conspiracy theorists, and, weirdly, Waterstone's.
There's not enough evidence here for solid attribution. All of these could have innocent explanations.
It does add more questions about who was behind this persona, and how they got the leak, though.
It does add more questions about who was behind this persona, and how they got the leak, though.
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