Max Rizzuto
Max Rizzuto is a research associate at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab based in Washington, DC. His work on extremism and disinformation has been cited by the Associated Press, Axios, Al Jazeera, Business Insider, and more.
He holds a bachelor’s in Science, Technology, and Society from Stevens Institute of Technology where he graduated with high honors. His senior thesis documented the early days of deepfake development communities with attention to the ethnography of early adopters and the progress of the codebase.
February 2022
Kremlin outlets exploit suspicious user comments on German Navy chief’s resignation
Outlets cited suspicious comments giving the impression they represented broader German public opinion.
February 2022
DC anti-mandate rally leveraged to broaden audience for anti-vax narratives
January 23 anti-vax rally softened messaging and utilized support from anti-mandate doctors to reach broader audiences.
September 2020
How Manny from Diary of a Wimpy Kid galvanized political activism on TikTok
Manny Heffley became a political symbol for young TikTok users to support Black Lives Matter protests around police brutality.
