Americas

Ceremony to declare Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian territories held in Moscow

Fri, Sep 30, 2022

Russian War Report: Putin illegally annexes Ukrainian territory

On September 30, Russian President Putin officially annexed four Ukrainian oblasts, incorporating them into Russia. The announcement was met with swift global condemnation.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Encyclopedia Runiversalis logo atop the Russian flag. (Source: DFRLab/руни.рф)

Thu, Sep 1, 2022

Pro-Kremlin Wikipedia alternative off to a rough start

Member-only pages, restrictive content policies, and a lack of transparency: Runiversalis is a wiki in name only.

by Eto Buziashvili, Andy Carvin

Business Business
(Source: Budrul Chukrut / SOPA Images/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect)

Wed, Aug 31, 2022

How CSSAs reinforce official narratives to expat Chinese students on WeChat

The DFRLab analyzed WeChat articles from Chinese Students and Scholars Associations across the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Australia China
(Source: Avishek Das / SOPA Images/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect)

Wed, Aug 31, 2022

WeChat channels keep Chinese students in US tied to the motherland

How Chinese government perspectives are reinforced among Chinese students at US universities via WeChat.

by Iria Puyosa

China Electorate
Gustavo Petro receives the presidential sash during his swearing-in ceremony in Bogota, August 7, 2022. Petro was among several candidates targeted by so-called “disinformation for hire” campaigns. (Source: REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez)

Thu, Aug 11, 2022

Colombian PR firms used Facebook ads to spread disinfo on presidential candidates

Facebook ads, websites, and fringe media spread disinformation about several candidates, including President Gustavo Petro.

by Daniel Suárez Pérez

Americas Colombia

Thu, Jul 14, 2022

Transphobic misinformation trends on Twitter after Highland Park shooting

Right-wing accounts spread harmful narratives associating transgender people with violent behavior and mental illness.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Civil Society Disinformation

Sat, Jun 25, 2022

US right-wing influencers stoke fears of left-wing mass violence after Supreme Court ruling on abortion

Contextualizing narratives about political violence surrounding the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling.

by Jared Holt

Civil Society Disinformation

Fri, Jun 24, 2022

Newly elected Colombian congressperson spread falsehoods on his YouTube channel prior to election

Elected congressman Jonathan Ferney Pulido Hernández posted misleading videos targeting Colombian President Iván Duque and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

by Daniel Suárez Pérez

Buzzsumo Colombia

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
Participants walk at the convention center prior to the inauguration of the VIII Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru, April 13, 2018. (Source: Reuters/Ivan Alvarado)

Thu, May 19, 2022

Op-Ed: Making the Americas resilient to information operations against democracy

Leaders attending the Summit of the Americas must define actionable policies to promote resilience to disinformation and foreign influence.

by Iria Puyosa

Americas Civil Society
Using drone footage supplied by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the DFRLab confirmed the incident took place near the Russian town of Belohorivka. (Source: @DefenceU/archive)

Fri, May 13, 2022

Russian War Report: Drone footage confirms failed Russian military pontoon crossing 

The DFRLab geolocated drone footage that showed the obliteration of the Russian unit that tried to cross the Siversky Donets in the Donbas region.

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Tue, May 10, 2022

Videos in Spanish created by Kremlin outlets reappear on YouTube despite restrictions

Multiple channels used same branding of restricted pro-Kremlin media, garnering thousands of subscribers and views in less than a month.

by Daniel Suárez Pérez, Esteban Ponce de León

Buzzsumo Disinformation