🧵1/ I found 8 accounts posting an identical tweet accusing Ukraine of using a 'crisis actor' during the bombing of Mariupol. (A model acting as if she was pregnant to evoke sympathy after bombing of a maternity hospital) #disinformation #mariupol ImageImageImageImage
2/ They're all posted from strange looking accounts, - sock puppety type accounts. That is, accounts that belonged to someone else but were taken over for other purposes.

See more of the accounts below pasting the identical tweet >

#disinformation
#UkraineUnderAttack ImageImageImageImage
3/ Kind of curious about this one > @JohnOlzard. The photo is of a real person called John Olzard. He's a realtor in Brisbane, and seems to tweet incessantly about crypto now. However, he is now really anti #Ukraine, and pro QAnon conspiracy theories. Is it really his account? ImageImageImageImage
4/ The Internet archive shows he used to his account to post songs (quite nice ones). Seemed to be a pretty chill dude.

Getting some John Mayer vibes from this one > Image
5/ Some people seemed to notice his account was acting odd. Obsessive crypto posts and a sudden conversion to pro-Trump support prompted people to ask if he had been hacked.

#disinformation ImageImage
6/ Could this Mayer-esque crooner truly have become a 'truth seeker' who advocates for the death penalty against the Australian government, and seems to believe in every hot conspiracy. He's even got a super creepy banner photo with that distinct nightmarish evangelical aesthetic ImageImage
7/ His Twitter profile photo is an edited version of a photo from his work website. Note the background change. I don't know if real John did this, or if it was done later. I'm guessing real John did it, as it is also on his realtor instagram
#ukraine
#disinformation ImageImage
8/ His original youtube channel with music is still available. But someone called John Olzard with the same white background photo has also set up a Youtube account with weird Qanon, Great Reset theories with a crypto twist. Image
9/ I've reached out to John to confirm if his account was hacked, or indeed if he has become a pro-Russian, anti-Ukraine, Crypto Qanon Fascist. I'm guessing the former, but either way, it's super interesting. Cognitive hacking, or Social media hacking/identity theft?
#Ukraine Image
10/ Will update you on Joh's response. Beware of repurposed accounts (sockpuppets) spreading disinformation and propaganda. They are legion. Also, good rule of thumb, ignore any Twitter account talking about crypto #Ukraine #disinformation
11/ Update, I've been blocked by whomever is operating John Olzard's account Image

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More from @marcowenjones

Mar 16
1/Just a quick weather update on biolab mis/dis/information and or propaganda. Who is discussing Ukraine and biolabs, and what are they saying? Who are the most retweeted and most influential in the past 48 hours. #ukraine #disinformation Image
2/ See clusters 1, 2 & 3. Cluster 1 is mostly people criticising the biolabs conspiracy, or the absurdity of it. Cluster 2 are generally those that can be considered active in the spread of propaganda or misinformation. Cluster 3 is a French NWO type spreading Russian propaganda Image
3/ Zooming in on Cluster 1 for example, @atrupar is calling out @TuckerCarlson for misrepresenting biolab info. @oneunderscore__ wrote a piece on the conspiracy and its 'dumb' origins. @JoeTrippi is sharing Ben's and @kevincollier's critique of the conspiracy

#Ukraine ImageImageImageImage
Read 13 tweets
Mar 14
🧵1/ Ok so I decided to drill down more on a core component of the #biolabs fake news.

What's fascinating about this is the clear overlap between pro-Russian propaganda and genuine Chinese officials amplifying it. Read on

#Ukraine
#disinformation
2/ So first up. A core component of the biolabs story was a key piece of disinfo.

Remember, for a good conspiracy, it helps to have scandal and perceived nefarious behaviour. It's especially good if you can make it look like your adversary is hiding something!

How though?
3/ Well it was fairly simple. It was reported by 'investigative journalist' @dgaytandzhieva around 26th Feb that the US Embassy in Kyiv had deleted documents about its biolaboratories in Ukraine.

Deletion = what are you hiding??

Read 15 tweets
Mar 14
1/ Earlier I tweeted about a new friend 'Rick O'Shay'. He tweeted me out of the blue to complain about my misuse of data science around #Ukraine #disinfo. Turns out of course he's a propagandist with a strange history that includes not even knowing how to spell his own name Image
2/ So Rick is handsome, even if a little generic looking. Could be AI generated, or a stolen photo? Hard to know actually. His generic bio is also alluring 'informed, educated, critical thinker'. Rick is obviously irresistible, and too chill to worry about having no banner photo Image
3/ He's not that active, 785 tweets in 6 years. But when he does tweet, he would rank as 🔥on troll Tinder. He ticks all the boxes. Anti-Clinton, Obama birth cert disinfo, covid disinfo, QAnon pizzagate fan. Russia Today fan. Probs loves travel too #disinformation #ukraine ImageImage
Read 7 tweets
Mar 13
Thread 1/ Ok if you didn't think disinformation could get more nuts, read on how about QAnon-types are using Trump's weird pronunciation of China to shift Covid19 blame from China now to #Ukraine. It is fascinating how Q will jump through hoops to support Russian propaganda
2/ Firstly. The emerging trope. Wait for it.

Remember how Trump used to pronounce China? CHI-NA, or erm, CHY-NA (this different spelling is of course key)

If you've forgotten, here's a video of Trump just saying China

#ukraine #disinformation
3/ Well some have realised that there is a place in #Ukraine called Chyna (well not really but we will get to that). Trump was firm in his accusation that China manufactured the virus. You see where this is going... #UkraineWar
Read 13 tweets
Mar 10
🧵1/ This is an analysis of all accounts using the terms '#Ukraine' and 'bio labs'. I wanted to see which accounts were pushing this narrative the most, & which were the most influential. This is an analysis of around 20k Twitter interactions from approx 17k unique accounts Image
2/ Broadly speaking there are two communities. Cluster 1 are those generally promoting the existence of 'biolabs', mostly with nefarious undertones. Cluster 2 are accounts reporting on the US rejection of biolabs conspiracies, e.g. @washingtonpost Image
3/ Within group one there are a few tight clusters mentioning biolabs, and seemingly helping push the conspiratorial narrative including numerous Americans, such as @JackPosobiec @ChuckCallesto @bennyjohnson

#Ukraine Image
Read 14 tweets
Mar 9
Going through 208000 accounts boosting pro-Putin messages, and there are so many gems. Here's a Chinese speaking pro-Trump account. Created in 2017 and only has 80 tweets, most of them about #UkraineRussiaWar, whataboutism and Western hypocrisy #disinformation
Here's another gem. Uses photos of Ricardo Milos, who is apparently a Brazilian adult model. Also claims to be a feminist, muslim vegetarian, speaks Chinese, posts graphic porn videos, and promotes Putin and Trump. Of course not a troll #Ukraine️ #UkraineRussiaWar
Of course Neal Caffrey is a real account. Looks totally legit...
Read 5 tweets

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