WhatsApp

Wed, Oct 2, 2024

The challenges of identifying deepfakes ahead of the 2024 Brazil election

The proliferation of deepfakes will be difficult to measure as Brazil prepares for municipal elections in October 2024

by Beatriz Farrugia

Artificial Intelligence Brazil

Mon, Sep 23, 2024

How the Venezuelan regime weaponized video and messaging apps to persecute dissidents

Maduro promotes app that encourages users to report critics of the regime amid widespread demands for election transparency

by Daniel Suárez Pérez, Iria Puyosa

Elections Online Harassment

Fri, Aug 23, 2024

How AI tools fueled online conspiracy theories after Trump assassination attempt

Deepfakes, cheapfakes, and AI-fueled scams spread online following the shooting; in other instances, real footage was dismissed as fake

by Beatriz Farrugia

Artificial Intelligence Elections
A man holds a Russian flag an orange and black "Z" symbol during the annual Immortal Regiment march in Moscow on Victory Day, May 9, 2022. The websites investigated in this report used the same version of the Z symbol in their online promotional materials. (Source: STR/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect)

Wed, Feb 21, 2024

Pro-Russia network spreads propaganda and disinfo in Latin America

Multi-platform operation amplifying Kremlin-aligned narratives published content in Portuguese and Spanish

by Beatriz Farrugia

Brazil Brazil
Telephone with messaging apps. “Protecting point-to-point messaging apps: Understanding Telegram, WeChat, and WhatsApp in the United States” cover image.

Mon, Aug 14, 2023

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

A year-long project on protecting users' data and privacy that analyzes the growing use of point-to-point messaging platforms in the United States and the implications their design and governing policies have for user privacy and free speech.

by Iria Puyosa

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy holds a national flag as he visits a position of Ukrainian service members in the frontline town of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, December 20, 2022. (Source: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters Connect)

Thu, Dec 22, 2022

2022 at the DFRLab: a year in review

In 2022, the Digital Forensic Research Lab investigated online harms and documented stories of resilience from Ukraine to Uvalde.

by Andy Carvin

Africa Americas
Ukrainian first responders attempt to quash a fire ignited by a Russian missile attack in Zaporizhzhia, October, 11, 2022. (Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine via Reuters Connect

Fri, Oct 14, 2022

Russian War Report: Russia escalates war by targeting cities across Ukraine

Russia escalated its war against Ukraine this week with missile attacks and airstrikes on cities across the country, including the first serious attack in the capital Kyiv in months.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Belarus Civil Society

Fri, Jun 3, 2022

Latinos in the US turn to WhatsApp groups for information on the Uvalde shooting

Spanish-language WhatsApp groups discussed solutions to school shootings and shared information from Latin American media sources.

by Iria Puyosa

Civil Society Crisis Management

Sun, Aug 11, 2019

How Not to Vote: Inaccurate Voting Instructions in India

Viral WhatsApp message prior to Indian elections provided local social media users incorrect voting instructions

Government Social Media