Thread by @stanfordio

🚨Today SIO released assessments of 7 #TakedownThursday info ops removals. On @Facebook 1 network attributed to US consultancy Rally Forge & 1 attributed to the Islamic Movement in 🇳🇬. From @TwitterSafety 5 separate networks attributed to 🇮🇷🇸🇦🇨🇺🇹🇭🇷🇺 🧵⤵️
cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/io/news/twitte…

2\ The Rally Forge network was an astroturfing operation involving fake accounts (some w/AI-gen faces) that left thousands of comments on FB, Twitter, & Instagram. Clients included Turning Point Action and Inclusive Conservation Group, a pro-hunting org cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/io/news/oct-20…

3\ The 🇳🇬 network is linked to the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. With fake accounts, it advocated for the release from prison of IMN leader Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky. cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/io/news/islami…

4\ The 🇹🇭 network was a low-impact domestic info op linked to the Royal Thai Army. The 926 accounts only produced 21,385 tweets, with most having 0 engagement. Accounts shared pro-Army content and critiqued opposition candidates.
stanford.box.com/v/202009-sio-t…

5\ A 🇨🇺 network’s coordinated hashtags pushed out nationalistic messages. The 526 acts tweeted >4.8M, making it today’s largest takedown. This is the first IO attributed to Cuba but expanded internet may be an indicator of more to come. raw.githubusercontent.com/stanfordio/pub…

6\ In 🇸🇦 sockpuppet accounts linked to the government of Saudi Arabia posed as dissident members of the Qatari royal family and pushed rumors of a coup attempt in Qatar. raw.githubusercontent.com/stanfordio/pub…

7\ The 🇮🇷 operation included 81 real accounts hacked to send Black Lives Matter content and 23 fake personas which shared some pro-BLM content. The fake personas were in early stages of network building & removed before having significant impact cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/io/news/twitte…

8\ We'll share details from our researchers throughout the day. Tremendous effort by @noUpside @shelbygrossman @elegant_wallaby @JoshAGoldstein @elenacryst @sbradshaww @carlymil @normalny_tvit @ShelbyAPerkins @tarmanderr @AbuzarRoyesh @RossEwald @mle_ross & the whole SIO team!