Content

Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades train with paragliders as they prepare for an armed air assault, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video released on October 7, 2023. (Source: Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades via Telegram/Reuters)

Thu, Oct 12, 2023

In Israel-Hamas conflict, social media become tools of propaganda and disinformation

An endless flood of false, misleading, and unverified information risks inflaming the conflict.

by Dina Sadek, Layla Mashkoor

Conflict Disinformation
Protesters scuffle with police during a rally to demand the resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan, Armenia, September 22, 2023. (Source: Vahram Baghdasaryan/Photolure via Reuters)

Thu, Oct 5, 2023

Kremlin propagandists fuel anti-government sentiment in Armenia

Russian media and influencers blame Armenian prime minister and the West for the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh while encouraging anti-government protests

by , Sopo Gelava

Armenia Disinformation

Wed, Oct 4, 2023

Suspicious Twitter accounts promote Saudi Arabia, call for reinstating Saud Al-Qahtani

Network amplified content calling for Twitter to reinstate Saud Al-Qahtani, accused of orchestrating Jamal Khashoggi’s killing in 2018

by Dina Sadek, Ali Chenrose

Digital Policy Disinformation

Wed, Oct 4, 2023

How selective Russian targeting effectively blockaded Ukraine’s Black Sea grain exports

Evidence from the Odesa region shows retaliatory Russian strikes destroyed harbor infrastructure, silos, and industrial farms

by Valentin Châtelet

Conflict Geolocation

Tue, Oct 3, 2023

Georgian travel company behind inauthentic network promotes health-related clickbait content

Inauthentic network disseminated unreliable health-related content to promote travel company and increase sales

by Sopo Gelava, Jean le Roux

Advertising Disinformation
A protester reacts next to law enforcement officers during a gathering outside the government building following the launch of a military operation by Azerbaijani forces in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, in Yerevan, Armenia, September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze

Thu, Sep 21, 2023

Armenian and Azerbaijani Telegram channels incite violence against each other

Telegram channels routinely publish graphic footage and hate speech, fueling online outrage in a decades-old conflict

by Givi Gigitashvili

Armenia Azerbaijan
Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili speaks during the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit at United Nations headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 18, 2023. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs

Wed, Sep 20, 2023

Inauthentic Facebook network linked to Georgian government StratCom unit

Network targeted Georgians with narratives claiming support for Ukraine would lead to a Russian invasion of Georgia

by Sopo Gelava, Eto Buziashvili

Tue, Sep 19, 2023

Pro-Kremlin groups mobilize online supporters to attack Tbilisi Pride Festival

Pro-Kremlin actors stormed the Tbilisi Pride Festival in July 2023, burning rainbow and Ukrainian flags

by Sopo Gelava

CrowdTangle Disinformation
Screencaps of a viral Douyin video of animated panda flight attendants welcoming Ya Ya’s arrival with the song, “Ya Ya Come Home.”

Thu, Sep 14, 2023

Panda exchange program targeted by misinformation, driving anti-US narratives in China

Chinese media capitalized on emotionally resonant rumors about alleged panda abuse in the United States amid deteriorating US-China relations

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Asia China
Russian paratroopers walk past an Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane during ZAPAD 21 exercises in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, September 13, 2021. Satellite imagery suggests that drones destroyed four 1l-76 transports at Pskov airport on August 29, 2023. (Source: Reuters/Vitaly Nevar)

Tue, Sep 12, 2023

Russian media spread rumors accusing Baltic states of drone attack

Unsupported claims from Russian media and Telegram blamed Latvia and Estonia for perpetrating August 29 attack on Pskov airport

by Valentin Châtelet, Sayyara Mammadova

Baltics Estonia
Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy head of the military council and head of paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), greets his supporters as he arrives at a meeting in Aprag village, 60 kilometers away from Khartoum, Sudan, June 22, 2019. (Source: REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo)

Thu, Sep 7, 2023

شبكة نسخ ولصق مشبوهة ترد على تغريدات المجموعة الشبه-عسكريّة السودانيّة

شبكة مؤلفة من حسابات تويتر يعتقد بأنها مسروقة تنسخ وتلصق ردوداً إيجابية على منشورات حسابات مرتبطة بقوات الدعم السريع

by Tessa Knight, Ali Chenrose

Arabic East Africa
Neo-Nazis march in front of Los Angeles City Hall, April 17, 2010. (Source: Lionel Hahn/ABACAPRESS.COM via Reuters Connect)

Wed, Sep 6, 2023

Anti-LGBTQ+ narratives connect disparate neo-fascist groups

Neo-Nazi groups are taking their online collaborations offline as they continue to threaten LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities

by Meghan Conroy and Jon Lewis

Extremism United States