Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, the digital tool "Words of Iron" emerged to amplify pro-Israel messages & mass-report content deemed false or anti-Israel. Targeting online users in the US & abroad, it represents a shift in wartime propaganda. dfrlab.org/2024/06/11/onl… Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, the "Words of Iron" website began assisting users in sharing pre-written pro-Israel messages and mass-reporting content deemed false or anti-Israel by the tool. Thousands of accounts used it within days of the conflict.

In a controversial move, far-right parties in the Identity and Democracy (ID) coalition used generative AI in their European Parliament election campaigns, despite a signed code of conduct prohibiting it. The latest by @gyron_bydton: dfrlab.org/2024/06/11/far… France’s Rassemblement National and Italy’s Lega, both members of ID, deployed AI-generated imagery to support their political messaging. These images depicted migrants as “invaders,” tractors in protests, and EU politicians in an unfavorable light.

REPORT ALERT🚨 We're excited to announce, "Another Battlefield: Telegram as a Digital Front in Russia’s War Against Ukraine." This year-long research project delves into Telegram's crucial role in Russia's information warfare against Ukraine. Read more: dfrlab.org/2024/06/10/ano… In the two years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Telegram has become a pivotal platform for understanding the Russian perspective on the war. It remains one of the few windows into Russian sentiment, from the public to the Kremlin.

In a recent investigation by @gyron_bydton and @Olari_Victoria, web forensics and domain analysis reveal significant connections between Moldovan pro-Russia news outlets and local political figures. The DFRLab’s latest: 🧵1/10 dfrlab.org/2024/05/28/web… Our investigation shows that several Moldovan media outlets share web infrastructure with Russia-backed political parties. This includes hosting services from Russian companies and shared Google Analytics codes. 2/10

New from @DFRLab🚨 An inauthentic campaign is spreading Islamophobic content targeting Canadians. The network, including 50+ Facebook accounts, 18+ Instagram accounts, & 100+ on X, amplifies hate speech through AI-generated photos & coordinated tactics. shorturl.at/bfCMX This network, employing AI-generated photos and fake accounts, amplified the United Citizens for Canada (UCC), posing as a Canadian nonprofit while disseminating anti-Muslim narratives.

An investigation by @SGelava has unearthed a disturbing trend: more than 100 Facebook assets are fueling the spread of pro-Kremlin propaganda in Bulgaria through links to external websites. Read more: dfrlab.org/2024/03/26/sus… The DFRLab discovered a network of Facebook assets promoting websites targeting Bulgarian audiences with misleading content, echoing Kremlin propaganda. This cluster comprises 44 pages, 30 groups, and 28 accounts.

Our latest report underscores Russia's intensified efforts to spread disinfo worldwide & undermine Ukraine's international standing. This highlights the critical importance of understanding Ukrainian countermeasures, outlined in our January report ⤵️ shorturl.at/bAKN8 Enter 'Beehive vs Mammoth,' a treasure trove of insights gleaned from interviews with 22 Ukrainian practitioners deeply involved in countering Russian disinformation. These experts shed light on crucial lessons learned from Ukraine's frontline experience. dfrlab.org/2024/01/24/how…

Investigative findings by the @DFRLab reveal disturbing tactics employed in a possible coordinated online campaign targeting the late Egyptian economist #AymanHadhoud after his death in custody.
dfrlab.org/2024/03/04/onl… Suspicious accounts on Facebook and X amplified state narratives about Hadhoud's mental health, despite lacking evidence. This aimed to undermine his reputation while human rights groups questioned the circumstances of his death.

"Undermining Ukraine: How Russia widened its global information operations in 2023" dives deep into Russia's strategies to undermine Kyiv's international standing. Let's break it down. 1/8
atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-resea… Russia has intensified efforts to erode Western support for Ukraine and sow domestic discord, leveraging platforms like TikTok, Telegram, and social media. Western sanctions forced a shift, but Russia adapted its tactics to target new audiences globally. 2/8

@DFRLab and @BBC Verify released joint reports on our uncovering of the largest information operation *ever* discovered on TikTok. The Russian influence operation spanned thousands of accounts and likely garnered millions of views. Keep reading for more.

dfrlab.org/2023/12/14/mas… .@tiktok_us identified and removed more than 12,800 accounts that it assessed were involved in the operation, attracting nearly 850,000 subscribers and generating hundreds of millions of views. Content was frequently reposted and amplified on other platforms, including Twitter.

In this week’s #RussianWarReport🇷🇺, a missile struck cafe in #Hroza killing 48 civilians attending a wake. Meanwhile, a website and ad forged to look like a Ukrainian news site was discovered sharing content meant to demoralize Ukrainians. 🧵👇atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atla… An attack on Hroza in northeast Ukraine left 40+ civilians dead. According to an official statement, the attack destroyed a cafe. In a separate post, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Kuleba blamed Russia for the attack, calling it a terrorist attack. t.me/OleksiyKuleba/…

In this week’s #RussianWarReport🇷🇺, Russia and Ukraine ramp up fighting in the Black Sea with rumors of an admiral’s death. Meanwhile, a missile fragment is found in Moldovan territory and Poland clarifies remarks on its support of Ukraine's military. 🧵👇atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atla… The Black Sea is becoming an arena of increasingly asymmetric warfare. Following a Ukrainian strike in occupied Crimea, questions mounted about the fate of Russia's Black Sea Fleet Admiril Viktor Sokolov. Ukraine declared him dead, but Moscow denies it. nytimes.com/2023/09/27/wor…

(1/4): This year, @Meta removed a Georgia-based network, comprised of 117 assets, for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB). The government-connected network boosted warnings of supporting Ukraine and the West "dragging" Georgia into war.
dfrlab.org/2023/09/20/ina… (2/4): @DFRLab first identified part of this network in spring 2022 following the Georgian government's accusations by the Georgian Dream-led government and pro-government media that the US was attempting to pull Georgia into Russia’s war against Ukraine. civil.ge/archives/489794

Pandas Ya Ya and Le Le became targets of anti-American misinformation that alleged they were intentionally abused. We analyzed the economic incentives and the emotional messaging that drove the spread of misinformation on Chinese platforms.

dfrlab.org/2023/09/14/cut… The misinformation stemmed from unflattering photos of the aging pandas. Memphis Zoo and its Chinese counterpart, the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens, reassured the public of their health. Yet, many on Chinese platforms were still vocal in claims of animal abuse.

📱🚨 NEW REPORT: Protecting point-to-point messaging apps: Understanding Telegram, WeChat, and WhatsApp in the United States

Learn about the growing use of these platforms in the US and how differences in design and policy affect these apps.

Long 🧵⬇️
atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-resea… An estimated two-thirds of the US population uses at least one messaging app, but this part of the information ecosystem remained understudied as compared to Facebook, X, etc. @DFRLab's new report will help to understand the complex messaging app landscape.

This week, the co-founder Russia's most used search engine came out publicly against the war. Meanwhile, Russia is accused of using chemical weapons and committing forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. #RussianWarReport🇷🇺 🧵👇 atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atla… Russia accused Ukraine of striking an oil tanker with a drone near the Kerch Strait Bridge on August 4. The tanker was identified to be under US scansions of supplying jet fuel to Russian forces in Syria. themoscowtimes.com/2023/08/05/rus…

A drone strike brought the war closer to home for Muscovites as a skyscraper in Moscow was hit. Meanwhile, Ukraine damaged a bridge connecting Ukraine and occupied Crimea and TGStat restricts access to data on Russian casualties. #RussianWarReport🇷🇺 🧵👇 atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atla… Ukrainian armed forces announced a successful attack on a railway bridge near Chonhar, which connects occupied Crimea with the occupied Kherson region. The bridge is a notable point along a critical ground line of communication for Russia.

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1686031553925615616

The 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCS) implementation planned has dropped.

@CyberStatecraft marked up the implementation plan, examining how the administration's vision will become reality and “rebalancing responsibility” in cyberspace. 🧵👇 dfrlab.org/2023/07/18/nat… @CyberStatecraft The plan’s five pillars articulate specific, measurable goals:

1. Defend critical infrastructure
2. Disrupt and dismantle threat actors
3. Shape market forces to drive security/resilience
4. Invest in a resilient future
5. Forge international partnerships to pursue shared goals

Russia’s attacks on Kyiv and Bakhmut continue with the former being hit by a new barrage of missiles. Meanwhile in the discovery of a Russian missile in Poland sparks a ‘cover-up’ controversy.

Read the #RussianWarReport🇷🇺 now.
🧵⬇️ atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atla… On May 16, Russian media reported that the army had strengthened its positions in the Bakhmut area, including deploying additional airborne forces. According to reports, four battalions have deployed around Bakhmut to repel Ukrainian counterattacks. t.me/annamaliar/738

Russia canceled some of this year's Victory Day parades while the armed forces continue to escalate fighting on the front lines. Meanwhile, two Russian prisoners recounted killing civilians, including children, on Wagner's orders.

#RussianWarReport🇷🇺 🧵⬇️ atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atla… The Russian army's offensive actions in Eastern Ukraine continue. In recent days, there has been an escalation of attacks on Ukrainian positions near Marinka, Avdiivka, and Bakhmut.

Also this week, a Russian plane accidentally bombed Belgorod in Russia. apnews.com/article/russia…

A @DFRLab analysis of three state controlled media networks found that following a change in @Twitter's policy on the promotion of state affiliated media accounts, the once hemorrhaging accounts saw a dramatic uptick in followers.

@AlyssaKann reports 🧵👇 dfrlab.org/2023/04/21/sta… @Twitter @AlyssaKann RT has at least nine Twitter accounts that until April 20 were labeled as “government-affiliated” on the platform. The three most followed RT accounts have followings in the millions. Two, RT Arabic and general RT, saw dramatic increases in followers starting in late March.