Technology & Innovation

A young Russian man who has a Netflix subscription shows his cell phone with an ad: “We suspend work in their region.” According to the statement, the service can still be used until the end of the billing period. After that, the user account will be deleted, there will be more debits, the information says.

Fri, Mar 11, 2022

Russia’s domestic internet talk isn’t new – but it’s ramping up

The size and scope of the ongoing crackdown is unprecedented.

by Justin Sherman

Eurasia Government
Presidential hopeful Gustavo Petro (center) at a presidential debate in Bogota, January 27, 2022. Petro was targeted in the Facebook Ads campaign.

Thu, Mar 10, 2022

Divisive ad campaign targets candidates ahead of Colombian presidential primary

Two Facebook pages promoted paid campaigns sharing homophobic, manipulated, and false content.

by Daniel Suárez Pérez

Colombia Deceptive Content Manipulation
A network map of tweets containing the phrase #istandwithputin or istandwithputin between February 23, 2022 and March 4, 2022.

Thu, Mar 10, 2022

IStandWithPutin hashtag trends amid dubious amplification efforts

Over the week of February 28, 2022, the hashtag #IStandWithPutin trended in several regions, but a deeper look at the origin and amplification of the hashtag suggested this support was artificial.

by Jean le Roux

Africa Botnets
PRIPYAT, UKRAINE – FEBRUARY, 2022: Pictured in this video screen grab is the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Russian Airborne troops and the Ukrainian National Guard are providing security at the nuclear power plant. An agreement has been reached with servicemen of a separate battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine to jointly provide security at the units, the confinement and the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant staff continue to monitor the radiation levels and work at the nuclear power plant as normal. Video grab. Best possible quality. Russian Defence Ministry/TASS

Wed, Mar 9, 2022

Russian War Report: Russia escalates nuclear and chemical false-flag allegations

On March 9, Russia escalated their claims that Ukraine intended to use nuclear or biological weapons against Russia and that capturing nuclear power plants were to "prevent" such attempts.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Belarus Conflict
The War on Fakes Telegram channel (left) uses common fact-checking tropes, such as stamping images with the word “FAKE” in large red letters (right) to convey a sense of legitimacy.

Mon, Mar 7, 2022

Russian Telegram channel embraces fact-checking tropes to spread disinformation

The War on Fakes Telegram channel pushes false and misleading content in defense of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

by Ingrid Dickinson

Business Conflict
Igor Kirillov, Chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Mon, Mar 7, 2022

Russian War Report: Kremlin recycles old narratives to claim Ukraine is constructing dirty bombs and bioweapons

In a further attempt to justify its invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin once again accused Ukraine of provoking Russia by developing dirty bombs and biological weapons.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Belarus Conflict
Belarusian protesters from the organization Women of Minsk openly protest the invasion of Ukraine. (Source: @Tsihanouskaya/Twitter)

Fri, Mar 4, 2022

Russian War Report: Global crackdown on Russian state-affiliated media continues as Russia blocks Facebook

In response to the invasion of Ukraine, governments and corporations have implemented new regulations and policies to mitigate the reach of Russian state-affiliated media within their borders and on their services. 

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Belarus Conflict
People seen standing next to a generator while charging their phones at the Ukrainian-Polish border. Civilians fleeing the war in Ukraine for the safety of European border towns include citizens of African, Asian and Middle East countries.

Wed, Mar 2, 2022

Fake Telegram group urges Africans in Ukraine to wear armbands used by combatants

Misleading and racist Telegram groups emerge as accusations of racism by border authorities go viral on Twitter.

by Jean le Roux

Africa Conflict
Facebook logo displayed on a phone screen and Russian flag displayed on a screen in the background.

Wed, Mar 2, 2022

Russian War Report: Social platforms crack down on Kremlin media as Kremlin demands compliance

Google, Meta, and Twitter are taking action against Russian state-owned media accounts to limit the spread of harmful information online.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Africa Belarus

Mon, Feb 28, 2022

Russian War Report: Russia retaliates against anti-war celebrities as social platforms crack down on Russian media

Meta, Patreon, and Twitter are taking action against Russian accounts, while Russian celebrities are facing pushback for their views, according to the Council's open-source researchers.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Belarus Conflict
Vladimir Putin justifies his invasion of Ukraine.

Sun, Feb 27, 2022

Kremlin media used claims of Ukraine creating a dirty bomb to justify invasion

The narrative was amplified by various Russian outlets and circulated on multiple social media platforms prior to Putin invading Ukraine.

by Eto Buziashvili

Conflict Disinformation

Thu, Feb 24, 2022

Russian War Report: Belarus joins conflict against Ukraine

The Council's open-source researchers break down the Kremlin's latest moves online and on the battlefield in its war in Ukraine.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Azerbaijan Baltics
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