Social Media

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a signing ceremony following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 21, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Tereshchenko/Pool via REUTERS

Mon, Jul 10, 2023

Chinese social media messaging downplays significance of Wagner mutiny

Beijing promoted the view that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny was a one-off event and emphasized Russia’s “return to normal,” lending further legitimacy to its support for Russia and their deepening partnership

by Kenton Thibaut

China Propaganda

Fri, Jul 7, 2023

Russian War Report: Russian conspiracy alleges false flag at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Allegations of a supposedly US and Ukraine-planned false flag operation on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant spread across social media ahead of the NATO Summit.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Banner: Human rights activist Gamal Eid is seen at a court in Cairo, March 24, 2016. (Source: Reuters/Asmaa Waguih)

Thu, Jul 6, 2023

Egyptian human rights defender repeatedly targeted by suspicious Twitter network 

Campaign attempted to harass and discredit activist Gamal Eid

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Egypt Human Rights

Wed, Jul 5, 2023

Saudi Arabia’s execution of two Bahrainis sparks competing hashtags on Twitter

Arabic hashtag condemning the execution significantly more popular than hashtag supporting the execution

by Dina Sadek

Government Human Rights

Thu, Jun 29, 2023

The disinformation landscape in West Africa and beyond

A look at West Africa’s information environment, with particular emphasis on local and international disinformation campaigns targeting the region and beyond.

by Tessa Knight, Jean le Roux

Wed, Jun 28, 2023

Yevgeny Prigozhin: A history of violence and propaganda around the world

Yevgeny Prigozhin captured global attention with his mutiny in Russia; the DFRLab has tracked his efforts around the world for over half a decade.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Africa Botnets
BANNER: A Russian MiG-31 fighter jet equipped with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile flies over Moscow's Red Square during a rehearsal for a flyover, part of an annual military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, May 7, 2022. (Source: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)

Fri, Jun 23, 2023

Ongoing Russian-Belarusian drills keep up the pressure on northern Ukraine

Joint military drills repeatedly extended by Russia and Belarus put Ukraine’s northern border within missile range

by Valentin Châtelet

Belarus Conflict
Ukrainian drone operators in Ukraine’s Donbas region, February 14, 2023. Russia’s Wagner Group is attempting to recruit gamers to join its own ranks of drone pilots. (Source: Reuters Connect/Kish Kim/Sipa USA)

Fri, Jun 23, 2023

Russian War Report: Wagner attempts to draft gamers as drone pilots

Russian PMC Wagner Group is encouraging gamers to apply to serve as drone pilots in the war against Ukraine while Ukrainian forces advance on the eastern front.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Scaling Trust on the Web

Fri, Jun 16, 2023

Task Force for a Trustworthy Future Web launches final report Scaling Trust on the Web

Press Release: Task Force for a Trustworthy Future Web launches final report Scaling Trust on the Web

Cybersecurity Digital Policy
A Ukrainian national flag is seen, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the front line in the newly liberated village Neskuchne in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Thu, Jun 15, 2023

Russian War Report: Anti-Ukrainian counteroffensive narratives fail to go viral

As the Ukrainian counteroffensive continues in Ukraine's south and east, false narratives calling it unsuccessful fail to gain traction on Twitter.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Thu, Jun 8, 2023

Russian War Report: Satellite imagery analysis captures flood threat after dam’s destruction

Satellite imagery of the Nova Kakhovka dam's collapse reveals the extent of the damage caused by extreme flooding in Kherson Oblast.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

BANNER: A presidential runoff ballot at a polling station in Istanbul featuring incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and main opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, May 28, 2023. (Source: Reuters Connect/Diego Cupolo/NurPhoto)

Wed, May 31, 2023

Pro-government Twitter accounts push hashtag promoting Egypt’s support for human rights

Twitter accounts identified as part of a network promoting pro-government content initiated a hashtag in support of government actions

by Dina Sadek

Disinformation Economic Issue