Threat actors can impersonate existing news organisations when producing inauthentic content, which has the following strategic benefits:
Exploiting peoples’ trust in a news organisation to make an inauthentic message appear legitimate
When we encounter a new source for information we must decide whether we trust it to be truthful (and can therefore rely on the information it provides). The amount we trust a source can build over time based on our experiences of the information it has delivered to us. A threat actor can exploit peoples’ existing trust for a source by pretending to be them when disseminating falsehoods.
Occupying fact-checking resources of the target organisation while they debunk the impersonation
When a news organisation is impersonated to spread inauthentic content, the organisation must invest resources in reducing the damage of the impersonation; leaving the fake unchecked could result in many people believing false content, or losing faith in the targeted organisation’s reporting capability.
From an operational perspective, members of the organisation with the skills required to safely and effectively debunk an impersonation will need to refocus from their ongoing investigations, which may be beneficial for threat actors who want other truths to remain hidden.
The reason I'm taking this so personally:
— Alistair Coleman (@alistaircoleman) April 13, 2022
If we HAD reached the conclusion Ukraine was responsible, we would have said. We've covered alleged war crimes from both sides without fear.
We would still be researching the attack if we weren't wasting our time debunking this fakery.
For transparency it’s worth noting that I haven’t seen reporting which claims the intention of a threat actor using this tactic is to occupy the resources of a target organisation, but it is regardless a real impact (so I’ve included this section just in case).
Real World Example:
In this example a Twitter account impersonated RapTV (a real news organisation reporting on developments in the music industry) when publishing the following inauthentic story:

Some users replying to the post appeared to believe it was from the legitimate RapTV account, asking why the content was newsworthy:

It makes sense that people were convinced by the impersonation; the illegitimate account has the same profile picture and writing style used by the real RapTV:

A standard user quickly scrolling through their feed may not notice the discrepancies, and take in the posted content as genuine. In this scenario the threat actor was just parodying RapTV, but other examples show the same tactic being used to achieve malicious goals.
Further Reading:
First Draft’s categorisations of information disorder includes a section on Imposter Content which details a variety of cases where legitimate news organisations were impersonated to deceive victims
I first came across imposter content designed to cause harm when I worked in 2014 for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. We were constantly battling Facebook posts where smugglers were creating pages with the UNHCR logo and posting images of beautiful yachts and telling refugees that they should “call this number to get a place on one of these boats that would take them safely across the Mediterranean.”
Understanding Information disorder – Imposter Content by Claire Wardle in October 2019
Relevant Content from the Article Archives
Link | Article Title | Source | Content Context | Content Type | Disinformation Type | Dissemination Platform | Amplification Method | Geography | Article Publish Date | Article Author | Aggressor | Influence Cycle Stage | Type | Tactic |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
How anti-vaxxers get around Instagram’s new hashtag controls | Coda Story | Anti-Vaccine | Hashtag Hijacking, Obfuscated Post Content | 2020-06-12 | Isobel Cockerell, Sofiya Voznaya | Calibrate: Attack, Calibrate: Defend | Article | |||||||
As wildfires rage, false antifa rumors spur pleas from police | NBC News | 2020 California Wildfires, Antifa, QAnon, Black Lives Matter, Proud Boys | Article, Text Post | Fabricated Content | Facebook, Twitter | Facebook Groups, Inauthentic Post Amplification, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2020-09-11 | Brandy Zadrozny, Ben Collins | Produce: Attack, Publish: Attack, Amplify: Attack, Amplify: Defend | Article | |||
Reporting for Duty: How A Network of Pakistan-Based Accounts Leveraged Mass Reporting to Silence Critics | Stanford University | Human Rights Activists, Islam, Pakistan, Marketing, Anti-Semitism, Government, Military, Coronavirus | Inauthentic Reporting, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Groups / Pages, Hashtag, Image, Video, Meme | Facebook, Instagram, YouTube | Inauthentic Post Amplification, Brigading, Facebook Groups | Pakistan, India | 2020-09-01 | Shelby Grossman, Ross Ewald, Jennifer John, Asfandyar Mir, Kim Ngo, Natasha Patel, David Thiel | Pakistan | Position: Attack, Produce: Attack, Amplify: Attack | Journal Article | |||
How conspiracy theories surged after the Beirut explosion | Coda Story | 2020 Beirut Explosion | Text post, Video | Misleading Content | Mainstream Media Reporting, Twitter, WhatsApp | Government Figure, Inauthentic Post Amplification, Mainstream Media, Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-08-06 | Emily Lewis | Amplify: Attack, Publish: Attack | Article | ||||
Facebook Removes Troll Farm Pretending to Be African-Americans in Support of Trump | NBC News | 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests, 2020 US Election, QAnon, Trump | Comments / Replies, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Groups / Pages, Meme, Text post | Facebook, Instagram | Inauthentic Social Media Account | United States of America | 2020-08-06 | Ben Collins, Kevin Collier | Amplify: Attack, Calibrate: Defend, Position: Defend | Article | ||||
Google queries in Africa reveal how coronavirus disinformation is evolving | Coda Story | Coronavirus | 2020-08-05 | Rachel Sherman | Amplify: Defend | Article | ||||||||
More celebrities join the growing conspiracy theory movement | Coda Story | Anti-Vaccine, Anti-Semitism, Bill Gates, Coronavirus, QAnon | Text post, Video | Instagram, Twitter | 2020-07-29 | Isobel Cockerell | Amplify: Attack | Article | ||||||
How K-pop information warfare outmaneuvered the far right | Coda Story | Hashtag Hijacking | 2020-07-24 | Chaewon Chung, Isobel Cockerell, Rachel Sherman | K-pop fans | Amplify: Defend | Article | |||||||
Duterte’s troll armies drown out Covid-19 dissent in the Philippines | Coda Story | Coronavirus | Comments / Replies, Hashtag, Imposter Social Media Accounts, Text post | Facebook, Twitter | Bot Account, Inauthentic Post Amplification, Inauthentic Social Media Account | Phillipines | 2020-07-21 | Lynzy Billing, Sofiya Voznaya | Amplify: Attack | Article | ||||
The Conspiracy Singularity Has Arrived | Vice News | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, George Floyd Killing, Government, QAnon | 2020-07-17 | Anna Merlan | Article | |||||||||
In Kazakhstan, coronavirus conspiracies are the latest celebrity craze | Coda Story | Coronavirus | Misleading Statistics, Text post | Misleading Content | Government Website, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp | Government Figure, Public Figure / Celebrity | Khazakhstan | 2020-07-17 | Katiya Patin | Amplify: Attack, Calibrate: Defend, Publish: Attack, Research: Defend | Article | |||
Doctor by day, anti-disinfo warrior by night: fighting Yemen’s Covid-19 crisis | Coda Story | Coronavirus | Article, Inauthentic Fake News Accusation, Misleading Statistics, Oral Statement | False Context | Facebook, Government Figure, State Media | Yemen | 2020-07-10 | Casey Coombs | Position: Defend, Produce: Defend, Research: Defend | Article | ||||
Tensions skyrocket in Serbia as the president casts street protestors as violent conspiracists | Coda Story | Anti-Government Protests, Government | Inauthentic Fake News Accusation | Government Figure, Mainstream Media Reporting | Government Figure, Mainstream Media | Serbia | 2020-07-09 | Katiya Patin | Amplify: Attack, Publish: Attack | Article | ||||
Right-Wing Media Outlets Duped by a Middle East Propaganda Campaign | The Daily Beast | Middle East, State funded media | Text post | Imposter Content | Alternative Media, LinkedIn, Twitter | Inauthentic News Site, Inauthentic Persona, Inauthentic Post Amplification, Inauthentic Social Media Account, Public Figure / Celebrity | Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Quatar, Turkey, United Arab Emirates | 2020-07-07 | Adam Rawnsley | Article | ||||
South Korean police don’t use purple dye cannons on protesters | Full Fact | 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests | Image, Text post | Fabricated Content | United Kingdom | 2020-06-26 | Rachael Krishna | Fact Check | ||||||
Facebook post about Italy, coronavirus and 5G is almost all false | Full Fact | 5G, Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Article, Text post | Fabricated Content | Alternative Media, Facebook, Personal Website | "Please Share" Call to Action | 2020-06-26 | Grace Rahman | Fact Check | |||||
Alcohol-based hand sanitiser cannot catch fire, without a spark, just because it's in a hot car | Full Fact | Coronavirus, Healthcare | Text post | Misleading Content | Facebook, Government Figure | United Kingdom | 2020-06-24 | Rachael Krishna | Fact Check | |||||
Footballers aren’t banned from wearing the poppy | Full Fact | 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests, Political Correctness | Screenshot, Text post | False Context | "Please Share" Call to Action | United Kingdom | 2020-06-24 | Abbas Panjwani | Fact Check | |||||
Coronavirus: How a false rumour led to hate online | BBC News, BBC Reality Check | Bill Gates, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Inauthentic Documents, Inauthentic Website, Text post, Video | Imposter Content, Misleading Content | Facebook, Inauthentic Website, Twitter, YouTube | Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-06-19 | Jack Goodman | Jordan Sather | Article | ||||
Sioux Falls Chamber apologizes for saying protest buses came to city from Fargo | INFORUM | 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests | Text post | Fabricated Content | Facebook, Twitter | Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-06-07 | Barry Amundson | Article | |||||
White nationalist group posing as antifa called for violence on Twitter | NBC News | 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests, Antifa, George Floyd Killing | Hashtag, Manipulated Image, Screenshot, Text post | Fabricated Content | Compromised Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Text Message, Twitter | Bot Account, Compromised Social Media Account, Inauthentic Post Amplification, Inauthentic Social Media Account, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2020-06-02 | Ben Collins, Brandy Zadrozny, Emmanuelle Saliba | Identity Evropa | Article | |||
George Floyd’s ‘Fake’ Death | New York Times | George Floyd Killing | Text post, Video | Fabricated Content | Facebook, Twitter, YouTube | Facebook Groups, Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-06-01 | Davey Alba | JonXArmy, QAnon | Article | ||||
The George Soros Conspiracy | New York Times | 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests, George Floyd Killing, George Soros | Text post, Video | Fabricated Content | Facebook, Twitter, YouTube | Government Figure | 2020-06-01 | Davey Alba | Article | |||||
Antifa Misinformation- | New York Times | 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests, Antifa | Inauthentic Documents, Text post | Fabricated Content | Facebook, Mainstream Media Reporting, Twitter | Government Figure, Mainstream Media, Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-06-01 | Davey Alba | Article | |||||
Like a virus; The coordinated spread of coronavirus disinformation | Centre for Responsible Technology, The Australia Institute | Coronavirus, Government, Healthcare, Marketing, QAnon | Article, Image, Manipulated Image, Meme, Text post | Bot Account, Compromised Social Media Account, Inauthentic Post Amplification, Inauthentic Social Media Account | Istanbul, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, United States of America | 2020-05-31 | Axel Bruns, Guangnan Zhu, Rod Campbell, Timothy Graham | Pro-Trump, QAnon, Republican | Journal Article | |||||
How coronavirus 'changes the game' for the anti-vaccination movement | ABC News | 5G, Anti-Vaccine, Bill Gates, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Meme, Retweets/Likes, Text post, Video | Fabricated Content | Facebook, Instagram, Mainstream Media Reporting, TikTok, YouTube | Facebook Groups, Hashtag Hijacking, Public Figure / Celebrity | Australia | 2020-05-30 | Ariel Bogle, Michael Workman, Stephen Hutcheon | Article | ||||
Troll farms from North Macedonia and the Philippines pushed coronavirus disinformation on Facebook | NBC News | 5G, Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Government, Healthcare | Video | Fabricated Content | Alternative Media, Facebook | Facebook Groups, Inauthentic Post Amplification, Inauthentic Social Media Account | 2020-05-29 | Ben Collins, Brandy Zadrozny | Amazing Cures, Brighteon, Content farm, GMO Dangers, Mike Adams, Natural News, NewsTarget, North Macedonia, Philippines, The Health Ranger | Article | ||||
Revealed: US-funded website spreading COVID misinformation in Armenia | openDemocracy | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Article | Fabricated Content | Alternative Media | Armenia | 2020-05-28 | Tatev Hovhannisyan | Article | |||||
The online competition between pro- and anti-vaccination views | Nature Research Journal | Anti-Vaccine | Facebook Groups | 2020-05-13 | Minzhang Zheng, Neil Johnson, Nicholas Gabriel, Nicholas Johnson Restrepo, Nicolas Velásquez, Pedro Manrique, Rhys Leahy, Sara El Oud, Stefan Wuchty, Yonatan Lupu | Journal Article | ||||||||
Viral Facebook post is wrong on deaths in first three months of 2020 | Full Fact | Coronavirus, Healthcare | Screenshot, Text post | Manipulated Content | United Kingdom | 2020-05-12 | Leo Benedictus | Fact Check | ||||||
Two police forces did not use the same photo to illustrate two different lockdown crimes | Full Fact | Emergency Services | Image, Manipulated Image, Screenshot, Text post | Fabricated Content | Facebook, Twitter | United Kingdom | 2020-05-11 | Rachael Krishna | Fact Check | |||||
A scientific review did not conclude that there are no cases of children transmitting the new coronavirus | Full Fact | Coronavirus, Government, Healthcare | Article | False Connection | Mainstream Media Reporting | Mainstream Media | United Kingdom | 2020-05-07 | Kate Lewis | Fact Check | ||||
Health Secretary uses Facebook poll to estimate coronavirus tracking app take-up | Full Fact | Coronavirus, Government, Healthcare | Article, Oral Statement | Misleading Content | Government Website, Oral Statement | Government Figure | United Kingdom | 2020-05-07 | Abbas Panjwani | Fact Check | ||||
The Control of Diseases Act was not changed in April to say you can be forcibly vaccinated | Full Fact | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus | Text post, Video | False Connection | Facebook, Twitter, YouTube | Facebook Groups, Public Figure / Celebrity | United Kingdom | 2020-05-07 | Grace Rahman | Fact Check | ||||
This post about Covid-19 and blood clotting conditions contains inaccuracies | Full Fact | Coronavirus, Healthcare | Text post | Misleading Content | Facebook, Twitter | United Kingdom | 2020-05-07 | Kate Lewis | Fact Check | |||||
There’s no evidence immigrants caused a PPE shipment to be destroyed at Dover | Full Fact | Coronavirus, Immigration | Image, Text post | Fabricated Content | United Kingdom | 2020-05-05 | Joseph O'Leary | Fact Check | ||||||
It's incorrect to say flu vaccines don't work | Full Fact | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Image, Text post | Misleading Content | 2020-05-05 | Kate Lewis | Fact Check | |||||||
A Nobel Prize-winning immunologist has not said coronavirus is manmade, as claimed | Full Fact | Coronavirus, Healthcare | Image, Screenshot, Text post | Fabricated Content | Facebook, Twitter | Government Figure, Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-04-30 | Abbas Panjwani | Fact Check | |||||
The Maytrix Group receives no money from Captain Tom’s fundraiser | Full Fact | Charity | Image, Screenshot, Text post | False Context | United Kingdom | 2020-04-30 | Claire Milne | Fact Check | ||||||
Hungary’s new coronavirus legislation could have journalists jailed | Coda Story | Disinformation | Hungary | 2020-04-30 | Matej Voda | Own Government | Calibrate: Attack, Position: Attack | Article | ||||||
An image of a dog vaccine for a different coronavirus has gone viral | Full Fact | Coronavirus | Image, Screenshot | False Connection | 2020-04-23 | Grace Rahman | Fact Check | |||||||
Uncovering Operation NEPTUN, the Cold War’s Most Daring Disinformation Campaign | WIRED | Cold War, Operation NEPTUN | Inauthentic Documents | False Context | Mainstream Media Reporting | Mainstream Media | Germany | 2020-04-15 | Thomas Rid | Article | ||||
If you need the police but can’t talk, dial 999 from a mobile, then 55 when prompted and don’t hang up | Full Fact | Emergency Services, Feminism | Text post | Manipulated Content | Government Figure, Legitimate Business / Charity Organisation, Public Figure / Celebrity | United Kingdom | 2020-04-14 | Claire Milne, Grace Rahman | Fact Check | |||||
Meet the celebrities pushing 5G coronavirus conspiracies to millions of fans | Coda Story | 5G, Coronavirus | Comments / Replies, Text post, Video | False Context | Instagram, Twitter | Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-04-14 | Ashley Jung, Isobel Cockerell | Amplify: Attack | Article | ||||
This viral voice message about ambulances shared on WhatsApp is inaccurate | Full Fact | Coronavirus, Government, Healthcare | Voice Message | Fabricated Content | Text Message, WhatsApp | United Kingdom | 2020-04-08 | Claire Milne | Fact Check | |||||
Blocking information on COVID-19 can fuel the spread of misinformation | Nature Research Journal | Coronavirus | Fabricated Content | Twitter, Government Figure | Inauthentic Social Media Account | United States of America, Iran, Russia | 2020-03-30 | Heidi Larson | Amplify: Attack, Amplify: Defend | Journal Article | ||||
Disinformation about Qatar surges in wake of COVID-19 | Coda Story | Coronavirus | Hashtag | Bot Account | Quatar | 2020-03-23 | Burhanw Wazir | Amplify: Attack, Publish: Attack | Article | |||||
With help from American activists, Ukrainian women are being misled about abortion | openDemocracy | Abortion | Inauthentic Website | Imposter Content | Inauthentic Website | Ukraine | 2020-03-18 | Tetiana Kozak | Article | |||||
False coronavirus rumors surge in 'hidden viral' text messages | NBC News | Coronavirus, Government, Healthcare | Text post | Fabricated Content | Text Message, WhatsApp | "Please Share" Call to Action | United States of America | 2020-03-16 | Ben Collins | Article | ||||
Inside Italian public hospitals, I saw how a US-linked anti-abortion network is ‘humiliating’ women | openDemocracy | Abortion | Inauthentic Advertisement | Misleading Content | Inauthentic Advertisement, Poster | Italy | 2020-03-09 | Francesca Visser | Heartbeat International, Movimento per la Vita | Article | ||||
This little girl has not vanished from your local area- | Full Fact | Missing Persons | Inauthentic Website, Text post | Fabricated Content | United Kingdom | 2020-03-02 | Rachael Krishna | Fact Check | ||||||
How fake videos unravelled Pakistan’s war on polio | First Draft | Anti-Vaccine, Government, Healthcare | Video | False Context | Facebook, Twitter | Government Figure | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Peshawar | 2020-02-20 | Lydia Morrish | Article | ||||
First Draft case study: Exploring the controversy around Dengvaxia and vaccine misinformation in the Philippines | First Draft | Anti-Vaccine, Government, Healthcare | Image, Meme, Screenshot, Text post, Video | Fabricated Content, False Connection, Misleading Content | Alternative Media, Facebook, Instagram, Mainstream Media Reporting, Twitter | Facebook Groups, Mainstream Media | Phillipines | 2020-02-20 | Jacquelyn Mason, Rory Smith | Article | ||||
Revealed: US-linked anti-abortion centres ‘lie’ and ‘scare women’ across Latin America | openDemocracy | Abortion | Inauthentic Website | Imposter Content | Inauthentic Website | Latin America, Mexico | 2020-02-12 | Isabella Cota | Article | |||||
Exclusive: Trump-linked religious ‘extremists’ target women with disinformation worldwide | openDemocracy | Abortion | Article, Inauthentic Website | Fabricated Content, Imposter Content | In-person, Inauthentic Services, Inauthentic Website | Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Italy, Latin America, Mexico, Spain, Uganda | 2020-02-10 | Claire Provost, Nandini Archer | Heartbeat International, Human Life International | Article | ||||
Facebook says a pro-Trump media outlet used artificial intelligence to create fake people and push conspiracies | NBC News | Trump | Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Groups / Pages | Inauthentic Social Media Account, Online Advertisements, Public Figure / Celebrity | 2019-12-20 | Ben Collins | Epoch Times | Calibrate: Defend, Position: Defend | Article | |||||
THE WAR ON PINEAPPLE: Understanding Foreign Interference in 5 Steps | Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security | Bot Account, Inauthentic Social Media Account, Mainstream Media, Public Figure / Celebrity | 2019-07-01 | Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security | Amplify: Attack, Amplify: Defend, Position: Attack, Produce: Attack, Publish: Attack, Publish: Defend, Research: Attack | Infographic | ||||||||
It’s not true that dialling 55 in a silent 999 call lets the police track your location | Full Fact | Emergency Services | Image | Manipulated Content | "Please Share" Call to Action | United Kingdom | 2019-01-23 | Grace Rahman | Fact Check | |||||
OF VIRALITY AND VIRUSES: THE ANTI-VACCINE MOVEMENT AND SOCIAL MEDIA | Nautilus Institite | Anti-Vaccine, September 11 Attacks, Personal Attack | Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Google Search | Online Advertisements, Cross Platform Sharing, Hashtag Hijacking, Public Figure / Celebrity, Mainstream Media, Inauthentic Post Amplification, Brigading, Inauthentic Social Media Account, Bot Account | United States of America | 2018-11-08 | Renée Diresta | Amplify: Attack | Journal Article | |||||
SOCIAL MEDIA BOTS OVERVIEW | Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security | Bot Account | 2018-05-01 | Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security | Amplify: Attack, Amplify: Defend, Publish: Attack, Publish: Defend | Infographic | ||||||||
Why we need to understand misinformation through visuals | First Draft | Image | Fabricated Content | Government Figure, Public Figure / Celebrity | United Kingdom | 2017-10-17 | Hannah Guy | Article | ||||||
Has change really come? Misleading graphs and how to spot them | Rappler | Government | Oral Statement, Text post | Misleading Content | Government Figure, Government Website, Oral Statement | Government Figure | Phillipines | 2017-08-05 | JC Punongbayan | Article | ||||
Ferial Haffajee: The Gupta Fake News Factory And Me | HUFFPOST | Feminism, Mainstream Media, Personal Attack | Image, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Manipulated Image, Meme, Text post | Fabricated Content, Satire or Parody | Bot Account, Inauthentic Post Amplification, Inauthentic Social Media Account | 2017-08-02 | Ferial Haffajee, Marc Davies | Article | ||||||
Kenya election: Fake CNN and BBC news reports circulate | BBC News | Elections, Government | Video | Fabricated Content, Imposter Content | Twitter, WhatsApp | Kenya | 2017-07-29 | Unattributed | Article | |||||
Did Emmanuel Macron open an offshore account ? | CrossCheck, First Draft | Elections, Government | Inauthentic Documents, Inauthentic Website, Screenshot | Fabricated Content | *chan, Alternative Media, Forum Post, Government Figure, Mainstream Media Reporting | Government Figure, Mainstream Media | France | 2017-05-05 | Unattributed | Fact Check | ||||
Did London Muslims “celebrate” a terrorist attack on the Champs-Elysees? | CrossCheck, First Draft | Text post, Video | Manipulated Content | Public Figure / Celebrity | France, United Kingdom | 2017-04-22 | Unattributed | Fact Check | ||||||
How Russia Is Using LinkedIn as a Tool of War Against Its U.S. Enemies | Newsweek | Article, Comments / Replies, Meme | 2017-03-08 | Jeff Stein | Article | |||||||||
Was Macron’s campaign for the French presidency financed by Saudi Arabia? | CrossCheck, First Draft | Elections, Government | Inauthentic Website, Screenshot, Text post | Fabricated Content | Government Figure, Inauthentic Website, Mainstream Media Reporting, Twitter | Government Figure, Mainstream Media | France | 2017-03-02 | Unattributed | Fact Check | ||||
Meet the Macedonian Teens Who Mastered Fake News and Corrupted the US Election | WIRED | Clinton, Elections, Government, Healthcare, Trump | Article, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Website, Text post | Fabricated Content | Facebook, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Website, Personal Website | Facebook Groups | United States of America | 2017-02-15 | Samanth Subramanian | Content farm, North Macedonia, Veles | Article | |||
Trump Trolls Tell Hillary Clinton Supporters They Can Vote Via Text | Forbes | Elections, Government | Image, Inauthentic Advertisement, Text post | Fabricated Content, Satire or Parody | Facebook, Twitter | Inauthentic Post Amplification | United States of America | 2016-11-03 | Fruzsina Eordogh | Article | ||||
What was fake on the Internet this election: #DraftOurDaughters, Trump’s tax returns | The Washington Post | Clinton, Elections, Immigration, Trump | Article, Hashtag, Image, Manipulated Image, Text post | Fabricated Content, False Connection, Manipulated Content, Satire or Parody | Facebook, Twitter | Inauthentic Post Amplification, Inauthentic Social Media Account | United States of America | 2016-10-31 | Abby Ohlheiser | Article | ||||
Former 'Kremlin Troll' Awarded $0.01 in Victory Over 'Propaganda Factory' | Vice News | Government, Pro-Government | Comments / Replies | Mainstream Media Websites: Comments / Replies | Inauthentic Social Media Account | 2015-08-18 | Unattributed | Agency for Internet Studies, Russia | Amplify: Attack, Publish: Attack | Article | ||||
Haunting 'Nepal quake victims' photo from Vietnam | BBC News | Disaster recovery, Nepal Earthquake | Image, Text post | False Context | Facebook, Twitter | 2015-05-04 | Nga Pham | Article | ||||||
Surge of Virus Misinformation Stumps Facebook and Twitter | New York Times | Coronavirus, Government, Healthcare | Comments / Replies, Inauthentic Documents, Inauthentic Website, Screenshot, Text post, Video | Imposter Content, Manipulated Content | Facebook, Twitter, YouTube | Facebook Groups | 2020-03-08 | Sheera Frenkel, Davey Alba, Raymond Zhong | Amplify: Attack, Amplify: Defend | Article | ||||
QAnon: What is it and where did it come from? | BBC News, BBC Reality Check | Clinton, QAnon, Trump | Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Reddit | Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-08-20 | Mike Wendling | Article | |||||||
Man pleads guilty to terrorism after Hoover Dam barricade | AP News | QAnon | 2020-02-12 | Ariz Kingman | Article | |||||||||
QAnon conspiracy theory on James Comey shuts school festival | BBC News | QAnon | Comments / Replies, Manipulated Image, Text post | Manipulated Content | 2019-05-10 | Unattributed | Article | |||||||
Eric Trump Promotes QAnon Conspiracy On Instagram While Plugging Tulsa Rally | Forbes | QAnon | Image, Text post | Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2020-06-20 | Jack Brewster | Amplify: Attack | Article | |||||
QAnon: Twitter bans accounts linked to conspiracy theory | BBC News | QAnon | 2020-07-22 | Unattributed | Calibrate: Defend, Position: Defend | Article | ||||||||
Here are the QAnon supporters running for Congress in 2020 | Media Matters | Elections, Government, QAnon | Comments / Replies, Hashtag, Image, Retweets/Likes, Text post, Video | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube | Government Figure, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2020-07-01 | Alex Kaplan | Amplify: Attack, Position: Attack | Article | ||||
The definitive guide to Fox News' vaccine conspiracy theories | Media Matters | Bill Gates, Coronavirus, Anti-Vaccine | Oral Statement, Video | Facebook, Mainstream Media Reporting, YouTube | Mainstream Media, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2020-09-14 | Madeline Peltz | Fox News | Amplify: Attack, Position: Attack | Article | |||
A Sinclair interview of Trump's new COVID-19 adviser was full of misinformation | Media Matters | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus | Oral Statement, Video | Mainstream Media Reporting | Mainstream Media | United States of America | 2020-09-15 | Zachary Pleat | Sinclair Broadcast Group | Position: Attack, Produce: Attack, Publish: Attack | Article | |||
Trump amplified a bogus QAnon misinformation campaign against the CDC that is now flooding social media | Media Matters | Coronavirus, QAnon | Hashtag, Image, Meme, Misleading Statistics, Text post | False Context | Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter | Facebook Groups, Government Figure, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2020-09-03 | Olivia Little, Alex Kaplan | Amplify: Attack | Article | |||
How Sinclair Broadcast Group is spreading dangerous coronavirus misinformation to local television news audiences | Media Matters | Coronavirus | Oral Statement, Video | Mainstream Media Reporting | Mainstream Media, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2020-07-27 | Zachary Pleat | Sinclair Broadcast Group | Amplify: Attack, Position: Attack | Article | |||
News outlets give Trump the headlines he wants for vaporware drug executive order | Media Matters | 2020 US Election, Government, Healthcare, Trump | Article, Text post | False Connection, Fabricated Content | Mainstream Media Reporting, Twitter | Government Figure, Mainstream Media, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2020-09-14 | Matt Gertz | Amplify: Attack, Produce: Attack, Publish: Attack | Article | |||
A conspiracy theory about West Coast wildfires is flooding Facebook despite the site’s promises to remove misinformation | Media Matters | 2020 California Wildfires, Antifa, QAnon | Hashtag, Image, Imposter Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Screenshot, Text post | Imposter Content, Fabricated Content | Facebook Groups, Coordinated user action | United States of America | 2020-09-15 | Olivia Little, Alex Kaplan | Amplify: Attack, Position: Attack, Produce: Attack, Publish: Attack | Article | ||||
Facebook’s big QAnon crackdown might have come too late | The Verge | QAnon | Facebook, Twitter, Reddit | United States of America | 2020-06-20 | Casey Newton | Calibrate: Defend, Position: Attack, Position: Defend | Article | ||||||
The Boogaloo movement has successfully hijacked social networks to spread | The Verge | Boogaloo Movement | Facebook Groups | 2020-06-25 | Casey Newton | Calibrate: Defend, Research: Defend | Article | |||||||
The Technology 202: Facebook struggles to keep violent 'boogaloo' content off its platform | The Washington Post | 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests, Bill Gates, George Soros, Boogaloo Movement | Facebook Groups, Facebook Algorithm | 2020-06-24 | Tonya Riley, Cat Zakrzewski | Calibrate: Attack, Calibrate: Defend, Research: Defend | Article | |||||||
A woman inspired by QAnon conspiracy videos was arrested after live-streaming her trip to 'take out' Joe Biden | Insider | 2020 US Election, Clinton, Coronavirus, QAnon | United States of America | 2020-05-01 | Margot Harris | Article | ||||||||
A QAnon conspiracy theory about Oprah Winfrey went so viral that it provoked her to respond, showing the scope of coronavirus misinformation | Insider | QAnon | Facebook, Twitter | Cross Platform Sharing, Coordinated user action, Twitter Algorithm | 2020-03-18 | Kat Tenbarge | Amplify: Attack, Publish: Attack | Article | ||||||
Alt-right conspiracy group Q'Anon won't stop believing in its Trump-related prophecies, even after they fail | Insider | Clinton, George Soros, QAnon | *chan, Alternative Media | Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2018-10-10 | Michael Barkun | Research: Defend | Article | |||||
These influencers and celebrities are spreading debunked coronavirus hoaxes on their massive platforms | Insider | Coronavirus | Screenshot, Text post, Voice Message | Satire or Parody, Fabricated Content | Instagram, Twitter | Please Share Call to Action, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2020-03-17 | Kat Tenbarge | Amplify: Attack | Article | |||
QAnon conspiracy theorists are telling people to drink bleach as a cure against the deadly Wuhan coronavirus | Insider | Coronavirus, QAnon, Miracle Mineral Solution | Video | Personal Website, Twitter, YouTube | 2020-01-29 | Tom Porter | Amplify: Attack, Position: Attack | Article | ||||||
Unlicensed medical 'cures' are flourishing in closed Facebook groups, where cancer treatments — and even surgery — are sold beyond the reach of the law | Insider | Healthcare, MMS | Inauthentic Social Media Accounts | Facebook, Personal Website, YouTube | Facebook Groups | 2019-10-18 | Tom Porter | Position: Attack, Publish: Attack | Article | |||||
How conspiracy theorists who claim drinking 'MMS' bleach is a cure for autism reached millions of people on YouTube | Business Insider | Anti-Vaccine, Disinformation, Healthcare, MMS | Video | Facebook, YouTube | Cross Platform Sharing, YouTube Algorithm | 2019-05-21 | Tom Porter | Amplify: Attack, Calibrate: Defend | Article | |||||
British man arrested in Uganda after promoting 'MMS' bleach as a cure for HIV and malaria | Business Insider | Healthcare, MMS | YouTube | Uganda | 2019-05-23 | Tom Porter | Article | |||||||
How three conspiracy theorists took 'Q' and sparked Qanon | NBC News | Disinformation, QAnon | *chan, Facebook, Reddit, YouTube | Cross Platform Sharing | 2018-08-14 | Ben Collins, Brandy Zadrozny | Position: Attack | Article | ||||||
California Wildfire Suspect Posted About QAnon, Other Conspiracies | HUFFPOST | QAnon, 2018 California Wildfires | United States of America | 2018-10-08 | Sebastian Murdock | Article | ||||||||
Twitter is bringing its ‘read before you retweet’ prompt to all users | The Verge | 2020-09-25 | James Vincent | Amplify: Defend | Article | |||||||||
‘Ghostwriter’ Influence Campaign: REPORT Unknown Actors Leverage Website Compromises and Fabricated Content to Push Narratives Aligned with Russian Security Interests | FireEye | Coronavirus, Military, Nato | Article, Inauthentic Documents, Manipulated Image, Screenshot | Imposter Content, Manipulated Content, Fabricated Content | Alternative Media, Inauthentic Website, Compromised Website | Inauthentic Persona, Compromised Account, Inauthentic Account, Targeted Email | Latvia, Lithuania, Poland | 2020-07-29 | Unattributed | Ghostwriter | Position: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Article | ||
Vaccine Proponents Receive Death Threats. Again. | Forbes | Anti-Vaccine, Healthcare | United States of America | 2019-07-22 | Nina Shapiro | Impact: Aggressor | Article | |||||||
Anti-Vaxxers Brought Their War to Minnesota—Then Came Measles | WIRED | Anti-Vaccine | United States of America | 2017-05-07 | Megan Molenti | Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender, Impact: Defender | Article | |||||||
Why Minnesota lost a battle against anti-vaccine campaigners | Vox | Anti-Vaccine, Healthcare | Oral Statement | In-person | United States of America | 2017-05-16 | Julia Belluz | Research: Aggressor, Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender, Impact: Defender | Article | |||||
Anti-vaccine group sues Facebook, claims fact-checking is “censorship” | Ars Technica | Anti-Vaccine, Healthcare | 2020-08-18 | Kate Cox | Calibrate: Aggressor, Amplify: Defender | Article | ||||||||
A call to arms: helping family, friends and communities navigate the COVID-19 infodemic | Nature Research Journal | Coronavirus, Healthcare | 2020-07-02 | Heidi Larson | Research: Defender | Journal Article | ||||||||
Samoa Arrests Anti-Vaccination Activist As Measles Death Toll Rises | NPR | Anti-Vaccine, Healthcare | Samoa | 2019-12-06 | Merrit Kennedy | Impact: Aggressor, Position: Defender, Impact: Defender | Article | |||||||
Anti-vaccine groups take dangerous online harassment into the real world | NBC News | Anti-Vaccine, Healthcare | Inauthentic Reviews | Fabricated Content | United States of America | 2019-12-06 | Brandy Zadrozny, Erika Edwards | Impact: Aggressor | Article | |||||
QAnon Key Figure Revealed as Financial Information Security Analyst from New Jersey | Logically | QAnon | *chan, Personal Website | Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-09-10 | Unattributed | Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | ||||||
Conspiracy Theorists Without Borders: How QAnon Mutated In Europe | Logically | QAnon, Reichsbürgerbewegung | Meme, Music | Facebook, Telegram, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube | Facebook Groups, Public Figure / Celebrity | France, Germany, United States of America | 2020-09-24 | Kristina Gildejeva | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Article | ||||
Disinformation’s spread: bots, trolls and all of us | Nature Research Journal | 2019-07-24 | Kate Starbird | Research: Defender, Impact: Defender | Journal Article | |||||||||
Twitter is testing how its misinformation labels can be more obvious, direct | Reuters | 2020 US Election, Coronavirus | Twitter Algorithm | 2020-10-06 | Elizabeth Culliford | Amplify: Defender | Article | |||||||
This Analysis Shows How Viral Fake Election News Stories Outperformed Real News On Facebook | Buzzfeed News | Clinton, Trump, 2016 US Election | Article | Satire or Parody, Fabricated Content | Facebook Algorithm | 2016-11-16 | Craig Silverman | Burrard Street Journal, Conservative State, Ending the Fed | Position: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | ||||
YouTube bans QAnon, other conspiracy content that targets individuals | NBC News | QAnon | Video | YouTube | YouTube Algorithm | 2020-10-15 | Ben Collins, Brandy Zadrozny | Impact: Aggressor, Amplify: Defender | Article | |||||
The Danger of Overstating the Impact of Information Operations | Lawfare | 2020-10-23 | Yochai Benkler | Impact: Aggressor, Impact: Defender | Article | |||||||||
As Local News Dies, a Pay-for-Play Network Rises in Its Place | New York Times | 2020 US Election, Elections, Government | Article | Alternative Media | United States of America | 2020-10-18 | Davey Alba, Jack Nicas | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Article | |||||
Democrats Are Launching “News” Outlets to Turn Swing-State Voters Against Trump | Vice News | 2020 US Election, Elections | Article, Inauthentic Reporting | Alternative Media | United States of America | 2019-07-24 | David Uberti | Position: Aggressor | Article | |||||
How a fake persona laid the groundwork for a Hunter Biden conspiracy deluge | NBC News | 2020 US Election | Inauthentic Documents | *chan, Alternative Media, Facebook, Personal Website, Reddit, Twitter | Inauthentic Persona, Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-10-29 | Ben Collins, Brandy Zadrozny | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | |||||
‘#OperationBlockTheBus’: Inside the Pro-Trump FB Group Where Biden Bus Convoy Was Organized | Snopes | 2020 US Election, QAnon | Facebook Groups | United States of America | 2020-11-02 | Unattributed | Impact: Aggressor | Fact Check | ||||||
Winston Churchill waged war on paper over 'fake news' photo caption | The Guardian | Disinformation, Government | Government Figure | United Kingdom | 2020-08-09 | Jamie Doward | Produce: Aggressor | Article | ||||||
Zoom lied to users about end-to-end encryption for years, FTC says | Ars Technica | Corporate Inauthenticity | Article, Inauthentic Advertisement | Manipulated Content | Company Website | 2020-11-09 | Jon Brodkin | Publish: Aggressor, Publish: Defender | Article | |||||
Steve Bannon Caught Running a Network of Misinformation Pages on Facebook | Gizmodo | 2020 US Election | Facebook Groups, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2020-10-11 | Whitney Kimball | Position: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Position: Defender | Article | ||||||
Microsoft: ‘please do not blow vape smoke into your Xbox Series X’ | The Verge | Products | Video | Manipulated Content | 2020-11-11 | Chaim Gartenberg | Produce: Aggressor, Impact: Defender | Article | ||||||
The different forms of COVID-19 misinformation and their consequences | Harvard Kennedy School | Coronavirus | Government Figure, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2020-11-16 | Adam Enders, Casey Klofstad, Joseph Uscinski, Justin Stoler | Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender, Amplify: Defender | Journal Article | ||||||
Delusional COVID Truthers Try to Invade Hospital Where This Mom Died Too Soon | Daily Beast | Coronavirus | United States of America | 2020-11-18 | Michael Daly | Impact: Aggressor | Article | |||||||
A QAnon Mom Is Accused Of Killing A Man After She Believed He Was Keeping Her Children From Her | Buzzfeed News | QAnon | United States of America | 2020-11-18 | Tasneem Nashrulla | Impact: Aggressor | Article | |||||||
Neutralizing misinformation through inoculation: Exposing misleading argumentation techniques reduces their influence | Plos One | Climate Crisis | 2017-05-05 | John Cook, Stephan Lewandowsky, Ullrich Ecker | Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender, Impact: Defender | Article | ||||||||
An AI tool can distinguish between a conspiracy theory and a true conspiracy | Nieman Lab | Pizzagate | *chan, Reddit | 2020-11-16 | Timothy Tangherlini | Position: Defender, Produce: Defender | Article | |||||||
USING AI IN THE WAR AGAINST FAKE NEWS | Mike Walsh | Pizzagate | 2020-08-27 | Mike Walsh, Timothy Tangherlini | Produce: Defender, Publish: Defender | Audio / Podcast | ||||||||
Dissecting the #PizzaGate Conspiracy Theories | New York Times | Pizzagate | *chan, Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube | 2016-12-10 | Cecilia Kang, Gregor Aisch, Jon Huang | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Article | |||||||
The disinformation system that Trump unleashed will outlast him. Here’s what reality-based journalists must do about it. | The Washington Post | 2020 US Election, Trump | Mainstream Media Reporting | Mainstream Media | United States of America | 2020-11-22 | Margaret Sullivan | Publish: Defender, Amplify: Defender, Impact: Defender | Article | |||||
QAnon's Dominion voter fraud conspiracy theory reaches the president | NBC News | 2020 US Election, QAnon | Alternative Media, Twitter | 2020-11-13 | Ben Collins | Publish: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor | Article | |||||||
How Steve Bannon and a Chinese Billionaire Created a Right-Wing Coronavirus Media Sensation | New York Times | 2020 US Election, Coronavirus, Government, Healthcare | Article, Inauthentic Reporting, Video | Alternative Media, Facebook, Instagram, Mainstream Media Reporting, Twitter, YouTube, Parler, Podcast | Inauthentic Post Amplification, Inauthentic Account, Mainstream Media, Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-11-20 | Amy Qin, Danny Hakim, Vivian Wang | Research: Aggressor, Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Position: Defender, Publish: Defender, Amplify: Defender | Article | |||||
Designed to Deceive: Do These People Look Real to You? | New York Times | Inauthentic Social Media Accounts | Fabricated Content | Inauthentic Persona | 2020-11-21 | Jeremy White, Kashmir Hill | Position: Defender | Article | ||||||
How fake faces are being weaponized online | CNN | Human Rights Activists, Trump | Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Text post | Fabricated Content | Facebook, Twitter | Inauthentic Account | 2020-02-20 | Donnie O'Sullivan | Position: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Article | ||||
Neither youth nor maturity makes you immune to misinformation | SunSentinel | 2020-11-20 | Carol McCarthy | Research: Defender | Article | |||||||||
Hundreds dead' because of Covid-19 misinformation | BBC News | Coronavirus, Miracle Mineral Solution | 2020-08-12 | Alistair Coleman | Impact: Aggressor | Article | ||||||||
Telegram Still Hasn’t Removed an AI Bot That’s Abusing Women | WIRED | Deepfake | Manipulated Content | Telegram | 2020-11-18 | Matt Burgess | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor, Publish: Defender | Article | ||||||
How a Terror Group Recruited Budding Neo-Nazis | Vice News | White Supremacy | Telegram, iFunny | 2020-11-24 | Ben Makuch, Mack Lamoureux, Zachary Kamel | The Base | Research: Aggressor, Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | ||||||
Neo-Nazi Terror Groups Are Using iFunny to Recruit | Vice News | White Supremacy | Meme, Video | iFunny, Telegram | 2019-11-14 | Mack Lamoureux, Zachary Kamel | Position: Aggressor | Article | ||||||
Quick D: UFO on the Moon | Captain Disillusion | Video | Fabricated Content | 2020-01-03 | Alan Melikdjanian, Captain Disillusion | Produce: Aggressor | Video | |||||||
Hundreds dead' because of Covid-19 misinformation | BBC News, BBC Reality Check | Coronavirus, Miracle Mineral Solution | 2020-08-12 | Alistair Coleman | Impact: Aggressor | Article | ||||||||
Coronavirus: The human cost of virus misinformation | BBC News | 5G, Coronavirus, White Supremacy | Text post | Facebook, Government Figure, Twitter, YouTube | Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-05-27 | Marianna Spring | Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Impact: Defender | Article | |||||
How I talk to the victims of conspiracy theories | BBC News | Coronavirus, Government, Healthcare, QAnon | 2020-11-01 | Marianna Spring | Impact: Aggressor, Impact: Defender | Article | ||||||||
Quick D: Gyro Drop | Captain Disillusion | Video | Manipulated Content | Twitter, YouTube | 2019-10-04 | Alan Melikdjanian, Captain Disillusion | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Video | ||||||
Mr. Flare Explains: The Virgin Mary | Captain Disillusion | Video | Manipulated Content | 2018-12-12 | Alan Melikdjanian, Captain Disillusion | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Video | |||||||
Marble Sorting Machine DEBUNK | Captain Disillusion | Video | Fabricated Content | Facebook, YouTube | 2018-06-28 | Alan Melikdjanian, Captain Disillusion | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Video | ||||||
The Kraken: What is it and why has Trump's ex-lawyer released it? | BBC News, BBC Reality Check | 2020 US Election, QAnon | 2020-11-28 | Unattributed | Amplify: Aggressor | Article | ||||||||
Brave New War | The Atlantic | Government, Military | 2015-12-29 | Peter Pomerantsev | Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender, Impact: Defender | Article | ||||||||
Local Green Group Actually a Front for Far-Right Activists | Vice News | Climate Crisis, White Supremacy | In-person, Instagram, Telegram, Twitter | 2020-10-27 | https://www.vice.com/en/article/93wkk7/generation-identity-uk-local-matters-far-right | Position: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | |||||||
Vaccine rumours debunked: Microchips, 'altered DNA' and more | BBC Reality Check | Anti-Vaccine, Bill Gates, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Image, Meme, Video | False Connection, Misleading Content, False Context | Facebook, TikTok | 2020-12-02 | Flora Carmichael, Jack Goodman | Produce: Aggressor, Impact: Defender | Article | |||||
Man who believed virus was hoax loses wife to Covid-19 | BBC News | 5G, Coronavirus, Government | 2020-08-24 | Marianna Spring | Impact: Aggressor | Article | ||||||||
How Misinformation ‘Superspreaders’ Seed False Election Theories | New York Times | 2020 US Election, Elections | Hashtag, Image, Text post, Video | Facebook, Twitter | Facebook Algorithm, Government Figure, Public Figure / Celebrity | 2020-11-23 | Sheera Frenkel | Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | |||||
Facebook Knows That Adding Labels To Trump’s False Claims Does Little To Stop Their Spread | Buzzfeed News | 2020 US Election, Elections | Facebook, Twitter | 2020-11-16 | Craig Silverman, Ryan Mac | Amplify: Defender, Impact: Defender | Article | |||||||
The Making of a YouTube Radical | New York Times | Feminism, White Supremacy, Redpilling | Video | YouTube | YouTube Algorithm | 2019-06-08 | Kevin Roose | Amplify: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Amplify: Defender | Article | |||||
From Memes to Infowars: How 75 Fascist Activists Were “Red-Pilled” | Bellingcat | Redpilling, White Supremacy, 2016 US Election | Meme, Text post, Video | *chan, Reddit, YouTube, Discord | Public Figure / Celebrity, YouTube Algorithm | 2018-10-11 | Robert Evans | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | |||||
How Technology Helped Martin Luther Change Christianity | NPR | White Supremacy, Religion | Article | 2016-11-20 | Tom Gjelten | Amplify: Aggressor | Article | |||||||
1920-21 | Exposing the ‘Protocols’ as a Fraud | New York Times | Anti-Semitism, White Supremacy, 2016 US Election | Article | Imposter Content, Fabricated Content | Mainstream Media Reporting | Mainstream Media | 2016-10-27 | David Dunlap | Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | ||||
Prebunking interventions based on “inoculation” theory can reduce susceptibility to misinformation across cultures | Harvard Kennedy School | Imposter Content, Fabricated Content | Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Twitter | Bot Account, Inauthentic Post Amplification | 2020-01-01 | Jon Roozenbeek, Sander van der Linden, Thomas Nygren | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Impact: Defender | Journal Article | ||||||
"The Great Moon Hoax" is published in the "New York Sun" | History.com | Aliens | Satire or Parody | Mainstream Media Reporting | Mainstream Media | United States of America | 2009-11-24 | Unattributed | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Defender | Article | ||||
REVISIONS OF REALITY; The Three Warfares—China’s New Way of War | Legatum Foundation | Article, Inauthentic Documents, Oral Statement | Government Figure, Mainstream Media Reporting, State Media | Mainstream Media | China | 2015-09-01 | Laura Jackson | Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | |||||
The QAnon Timeline: Four Years, 5,000 Drops and Countless Failed Prophecies | Bellingcat | 2020 US Election, Antifa, Clinton, Coronavirus, Disinformation, Elections, Pizzagate, QAnon, Trump | Text post | Fabricated Content | *chan | 2021-01-29 | Edward Tian | Produce: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | |||||
The Making of QAnon: A Crowdsourced Conspiracy | Bellingcat | 2020 US Election, Pizzagate, QAnon, Trump | Text post | Fabricated Content | *chan | 2021-01-07 | The Q Origins Project | Research: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | |||||
QAnon Led the Storming of the US Capitol | Vice News | 2020 US Election, Antifa, QAnon, 2021 US Capitol Riots, False Flag | 2021-01-06 | David Gilbert | Calibrate: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Article | ||||||||
Is QAnon taking over America? Not so fast | The Guardian | QAnon | 2020-08-18 | Adam Enders, Joseph Uscinski | Research: Defender | Article | ||||||||
QAnon Is Just the Standard Trump Train Now | New York Magazine | QAnon | 2019-04-19 | Brian Feldman | Calibrate: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | ||||||||
Anti-vaccine protesters temporarily shut down vaccine site | ABC News | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus | United States of America | 2021-01-31 | The Associated Press | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Article | |||||||
I Helped Uncover QAnon. Failed Prophecies Won’t Kill It | The Information | 2021-01-23 | Paris Martineau | Calibrate: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | |||||||||
Prophecy Fail - What happens to a doomsday cult when the world doesn’t end? | SLATE | Armageddon | 2011-05-20 | Vaughan Bell | Calibrate: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | ||||||||
Antivaxx microinfluencers are Facebook’s next big problem | WIRED | Anti-Vaccine, Healthcare, QAnon | Text post, Video | Coordinated user action, Facebook Algorithm, Facebook Groups | Australia, United Kingdom, United States of America | 2021-01-29 | Gian Volpicelli | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor, Research: Defender, Calibrate: Defender | Article | |||||
Not Anti-Vaccine, Anti COVID-Vaccine: Misinformation Trends in the UK | Logically | 5G, Abortion, Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Healthcare, QAnon | Article, Text post, Video | Alternative Media, Facebook, YouTube | Facebook Algorithm, Facebook Groups, Mainstream Media, Public Figure / Celebrity | United Kingdom | 2020-12-02 | Joe Ondrak, Kristina Gildejeva, Edie Miller | Amplify: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | ||||
COVID and 5G and Vaccines, Oh My! Why so Many Conspiracies Merge Together | Logically | 5G, Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Healthcare, QAnon | Cultic Milieu | 2020-05-07 | Joe Ondrak | Position: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | |||||||
Exclusive: A UK Anti-Trafficking Facebook Group Is Indoctrinating Mums and Survivors Into QAnon | Logically | QAnon | Hashtag, Inauthentic Social Media Groups / Pages | *chan, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube | Facebook Groups, Hashtag Hijacking | United Kingdom | 2020-10-15 | Joe Ondrak | Position: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | ||||
It Was Never About the Kids: How QAnon Is Hijacking Movements Against Child Trafficking and Taking the Pro-Trump #Pizzagate to the Streets | Logically | QAnon | Hashtag, Inauthentic Social Media Groups / Pages | Facebook Groups, Hashtag Hijacking | 2020-08-13 | Nick Backovic | Position: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Article | ||||||
A Bible Burning, a Russian News Agency and a Story Too Good to Check Out | New York Times | 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests, 2020 US Election, Antifa | Article, Text post, Video | False Context | Mainstream Media Reporting, Twitter, Inauthentic News Site | Government Figure, Inauthentic News Site, Public Figure / Celebrity, Twitter Algorithm, Information Laundering | 2020-08-11 | Matthew Rosenberg, Julian Barnes | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor | Article | ||||
Enlisting Useful Idiots: the Ties Between Online Harassment and Disinformation | Colorado Technology Law Journal | 2016 US Election, Anti-Semitism, Feminism, Government, Mainstream Media, Pro-Government, White Supremacy, Political Inauthenticity, Gamergate | Image, Inauthentic Reporting, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Groups / Pages, Manipulated Image, Meme, Text post, Video | *chan, Facebook, Reddit, Twitter | Bot Account, Coordinated user action, Cross Platform Sharing, Facebook Groups, Inauthentic Persona, Inauthentic Post Amplification, Inauthentic Account, Information Laundering, Public Figure / Celebrity | 2021-01-20 | Brittan Heller | Position: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender, Produce: Defender, Impact: Defender | Journal Article | |||||
UK's youngest terror offender, boy, 16, sentenced | BBC News | Anti-Semitism, White Supremacy, Homophobia | Forum Post | 2021-02-08 | Unattributed | Position: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Impact: Defender | Article | |||||||
From Anonymous to QAnon feat Dale Beran, Matt Alt, Fredrick Brennan & Fuxnet | The QAnon Anonymous Podcast | 2016 US Election, Gamergate, Government, QAnon, Trump | *chan | Coordinated user action | 2021-02-04 | The QAnon Anonymous Podcast | Research: Defender | Audio / Podcast | ||||||
QAnon's Great Disappointment | The QAnon Anonymous Podcast | 2020 US Election, 2021 US Capitol Riots, QAnon | *chan, Parler, Telegram, TikTok, Twitter | 2021-01-28 | The QAnon Anonymous Podcast | Calibrate: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Research: Defender | Audio / Podcast | |||||||
Movie at the Ellipse: A Study in Fascist Propaganda | Just Security | 2020 US Election, 2021 US Capitol Riots, QAnon, Trump, White Supremacy | Video | Government Figure, In-person | Government Figure | United States of America | 2021-02-04 | Jason Stanley | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Article | ||||
Trump Embraces One Of Russia's Favorite Propaganda Tactics — Whataboutism | npr | Trump | Text post | Government Figure, Twitter | Government Figure, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2017-03-17 | Danielle Kurtzleben | Produce: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism | |||
The Slippery Slope of Trump’s Dangerous ‘Whataboutism’ | Foreign Policy | Trump | Oral Statement | Mainstream Media Reporting | Government Figure, Mainstream Media, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2017-02-07 | Jake Sullivan | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism | |||
In the crosshairs of Azerbaijan’s patriotic trolls | Open Democracy | Government | Text post | Mainstream Media Websites: Comments / Replies, Twitter | Azerbaijan | 2016-11-22 | Arzu Geybulla | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism, Harassment | ||||
Et tu quoque, Trudeau? How Saudi trolls slammed Canada in a diplomatic spat | CBC | Government | Canada, Saudi Arabia | 2018-08-10 | Brent Bambury | Produce: Aggressor | Audio / Podcast | Whataboutism | ||||||
Recycling Israeli propaganda tactics to defend Saudi Arabia | The New Arab | Saudi Arabia, Israel | 2018-11-12 | Muhammad Shehada | Produce: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism | |||||||
In response to Trump, China gets mean | Politico | Text post | Government Figure, Twitter | Government Figure | United States of America, China | 2019-12-08 | Nahal Toosi | Produce: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism | ||||
Kremlin TV Loves Anti-War Protests—Unless Russia Is the One Waging War | The New Republic | State Media | Mainstream Media | Russia | 2014-03-02 | Julia Ioffe | Produce: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism | |||||
Russia Complains To Azerbaijan About Discrimination Against Armenians | eurasianet | Government Figure | Russia, Azerbaijan | 2017-07-05 | Joshua Kucera | Produce: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism | ||||||
Childish Rants or Putin-Style Propaganda? | Mother Jones | 2016 US Election, Trump | Text post | Government Figure, Twitter | Government Figure, Public Figure / Celebrity | United States of America | 2017-05-20 | Denise Clifton | Produce: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism | |||
Whataboutism | The Economist | Russia | 2008-01-31 | Unattributed | Produce: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism | |||||||
We need ‘whataboutism’ now more than ever | Aljazeera America | 2015-01-26 | Christian Christensen | Article | Whataboutism | |||||||||
Whataboutism: Finger-wagging as a political tactic | BBC News | 2018-08-23 | David Quantick | Produce: Aggressor, Produce: Defender | Video | Whataboutism | ||||||||
The Soviet-Era Strategy That Explains What Russia Is Doing With Snowden | The Atlantic | Government | Russia, United States of America | 2013-08-02 | Olga Khazan | Produce: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism | ||||||
Donald Trump’s Whataboutism | The Diplomat | 2016 US Election, Trump | United States of America | 2016-07-22 | Catherine Putz | Produce: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism | ||||||
A pro-Russia propaganda campaign is using over 180 TikTok influencers to promote the invasion of Ukraine | Media Matters | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Hashtag, Video | TikTok | Coordinated user action, Public Figure / Celebrity | Russia, Ukraine | 2022-03-11 | Abbie Richards | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Amplification via Influencer | |||
Russian TikTok Influencers Are Being Paid to Spread Kremlin Propaganda | Vice News | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Coronavirus, Government | Hashtag, Video | Instagram, TikTok | Coordinated user action, Public Figure / Celebrity | Russia, Ukraine | 2022-03-11 | David Gilbert | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor | Article | Amplification via Influencer | |||
The White House is briefing TikTok stars about the war in Ukraine | The Washington Post | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Video | TikTok | Public Figure / Celebrity | Russia, Ukraine, United States of America | 2022-03-11 | Taylor Lorenz | Amplify: Defender | Article | Amplification via Influencer | |||
Influencers say Russia-linked PR agency asked them to disparage Pfizer vaccine | The Guardian | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Video | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube | Public Figure / Celebrity | France, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom | 2021-05-25 | Jon Henley | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor | Article | Amplification via Influencer | |||
Une mystérieuse agence demande à des influenceurs français de dénigrer le vaccin Pfizer | numerama | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Video | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube | Public Figure / Celebrity | France, Russia | 2021-05-24 | Julien Cadot | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Amplification via Influencer | |||
La Russie derrière une campagne de lobbying anti Pfizer ? | Fact & Furious | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Video | YouTube | Public Figure / Celebrity | France, Russia, United Kingdom | 2021-05-24 | Antoine Daoust | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Amplification via Influencer | |||
The anti-vax influencer plot that flopped | BBC News | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Video | Instagram, YouTube | Public Figure / Celebrity | Russia, China | 2021-07-24 | Charlie Haynes, Flora Carmichael, Ed Main | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Audio / Podcast | Amplification via Influencer | |||
Kenyan influencers paid to take 'guerrilla warfare' online | BBC News | Government | Comments / Replies, Hashtag, Image, Meme | Coordinated user action, Public Figure / Celebrity | Kenya | 2021-09-13 | Emmanuel Onyango | Produce: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Harassment, Amplification via Influencer, Inauthentic Trend | ||||
The YouTubers who blew the whistle on an anti-vax plot | BBC News | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Video | Misleading Content, False Context | Instagram, YouTube | Public Figure / Celebrity | France, Germany, India, United Kingdom | 2021-07-25 | Charlie Haynes, Flora Carmichael | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Amplification via Influencer | ||
The “Next Frontier of Propaganda”: Micro-Influencers are Paid to Spread Political Messages, Disinformation | Promarket | Public Figure / Celebrity | 2021-01-13 | Jana Kasperkevic | Article | Amplification via Influencer | ||||||||
Social Media Influencers and the 2020 U.S. Election: Paying ‘Regular People’ for Digital Campaign Communication | TEXAS Moody Media Engagement | 2020 US Election, Coronavirus, QAnon | TikTok | 2020-10-01 | Anastasia Goodwin, Katie Joseff, Samuel Woolley | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Amplification via Influencer | ||||||
“Disinformation influencers” for hire, only $15 a day | Rest of World | Government | Hashtag | Coordinated user action, Public Figure / Celebrity | Kenya | 2021-09-02 | Vittoria Elliott | Position: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Amplification via Influencer, Inauthentic Trend | ||||
In the Ukraine Conflict, Fake Fact-Checks Are Being Used to Spread Disinformation | ProPublica | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Video | Imposter Content | Government Figure, Reddit, State Media, Telegram, Twitter | Government Figure, Mainstream Media, Public Figure / Celebrity | Russia, Ukraine | 2022-03-08 | Craig Silverman, Jeff Kao | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Article | Fake Factcheck | ||
The Tories' factcheckUK Twitter stunt was cleverly designed to fail | WIRED | Elections, Government | Imposter Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Text post | Imposter Content | Government Figure | United Kingdom | 2019-11-20 | James Temperton | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Article | Fake Factcheck | |||
factcheckUK or fakecheckUK? Reinventing the political faction as the impartial factchecker | Dr Claire Hardaker | Elections, Government | Imposter Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Text post | Imposter Content | Government Figure | United Kingdom | 2019-11-21 | Claire Hardaker | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Fake Factcheck | |||
“The Facts, the Facty-Facts! How dull…” | Ellen Judson | Elections, Government | Imposter Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Text post | Imposter Content | Government Figure | United Kingdom | 2019-11-21 | Ellen Judson | Produce: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Article | Fake Factcheck | |||
Election debate: Conservatives criticised for renaming Twitter profile 'factcheckUK' | BBC News | Elections, Government | Imposter Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts, Text post | Imposter Content | Government Figure | United Kingdom | 2019-11-20 | Dave Lee | Publish: Aggressor | Article | Fake Factcheck | |||
Twitter threatens 'corrective action' against Boris Johnson’s Conservatives party after it created a fake fact-checking service | Business Insider | Elections, Government | Imposter Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts | Imposter Content | Government Figure | United Kingdom | 2019-11-20 | Thomas Colson | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Calibrate: Defender | Article | Fake Factcheck | |||
FactcheckUK: How Twitter’s rules let Tories convincingly rebrand as fact checkers | The Independent | Elections, Government | Imposter Social Media Accounts, Inauthentic Social Media Accounts | Imposter Content | Government Figure | United Kingdom | 2019-11-19 | Andrew Griffin | Position: Aggressor | Article | Fake Factcheck | |||
Fox News Doctored Clips of Obama’s Visit to the White House to Make It Seem Like Biden Was Lost | Rolling Stone | Government | Text post, Video | False Context | Mainstream Media Reporting, Telegram | Mainstream Media | United States of America | 2022-04-06 | Ryan Bort | Produce: Aggressor | Article | |||
This Script Sends Junk Data to Ohio’s Website for Snitching on Workers | Vice News | Coronavirus, Employment | Fabricated Content | Government Website | Bot Account | United States of America | 2020-05-13 | Janus Rose | Position: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Tactical Infodemic | |||
TikTokers say thousands of them are spamming the tip line set up by Virginia's GOP governor to report teachers over critical race theory | Insider | White Supremacy | Fabricated Content | Government Website | Coordinated user action | United States of America | 2022-01-27 | Sophia Ankel | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Tactical Infodemic | |||
TikTokers flood Texas abortion whistleblower site with Shrek memes, fake reports and porn | The Guardian | Abortion, Government | Fabricated Content | Government Website | Coordinated user action | United States of America | 2021-09-03 | Kari Paul | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Tactical Infodemic | |||
Reddit Mind-Hacktivists conduct a Disinformation Campaign against Kelloggs | DisinfoDB | Employment | Fabricated Content | Bot Account, Coordinated user action | United States of America | 2021-12-13 | DisinfoDB | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Tactical Infodemic | ||||
Pro-Russian accounts and 'fake news' sites are trying to claim that satellite imagery [...] are fake | Twitter Post | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Misleading Content, False Context, Fabricated Content | Alternative Media, Telegram | Russia, Ukraine | 2022-04-10 | Benjamin Strick | Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Tweets | Fake Factcheck | ||||
Kenya election: Fake CNN and BBC news reports circulate | BBC News | Elections | Video | Imposter Content | Facebook, WhatsApp | Kenya | 2017-07-29 | Unattributed | Produce: Aggressor | Article | Impersonate Existing News Organisation | |||
Understanding Information disorder - Imposter Content | First Draft | Elections, Immigration, White Supremacy | Inauthentic Website, Manipulated Image | Imposter Content | France, Kenya, United Kingdom, United States of America | 2019-10-01 | Claire Wardle | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor | Article | Impersonate Existing News Organisation | ||||
Fact Check-Image claiming to show BBC headline warning that excessive breathing may lead to a heart attack is fabricated | Reuters Fact Check | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, Healthcare | Image, Text post | Imposter Content | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter | United Kingdom | 2022-02-11 | Reuters Fact Check | Produce: Aggressor | Fact Check | Impersonate Existing News Organisation | |||
Russian Telegram channel embraces fact-checking tropes to spread disinformation | DFRLab | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Misleading Content, False Context | Inauthentic Website, Telegram | Russia, Ukraine | 2022-03-07 | Ingrid Dickinson | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Article | Fake Factcheck | ||||
Parents opposing mask mandates bombard school districts with sham legal claims | NBC News, MSNBC | Coronavirus, Healthcare, QAnon | Threat of Legal Action | Imposter Content, Fabricated Content | Coordinated user action | United States of America | 2022-02-21 | Craig Melvin, Ben Collins | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Video | Harassment, Paper Terrorism | |||
Paper terrorism: Parents against mask mandates bombard school districts with sham legal claims | NBC News | Anti-Vaccine, Coronavirus, QAnon, Sovereign Citizen | Threat of Legal Action | Misleading Content, Fabricated Content | Telegram | Coordinated user action | United States of America | 2022-02-21 | Tyler Kingkade, Ben Collins | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Article | Harassment, Paper Terrorism | ||
Paper Terrorism - Anti-government vigilantes wield a subtle weapon | Harper's Magazine | Sovereign Citizen | Threat of Legal Action | Misleading Content, Fabricated Content | Coordinated user action | United States of America | 2018-10-01 | Anne Diebel, Tyler Maroney | Sovereign Citizens | Produce: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Article | Harassment, Paper Terrorism | ||
Weapons of mass distraction: strategies for countering the paper terrorism of sovereign citizens | Dudley Knox Library | Sovereign Citizen | 2018-03-01 | Terri March-Safbom | Calibrate: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Calibrate: Defender, Impact: Defender | Journal Article | Harassment, Paper Terrorism | |||||||
"Paper terrorism" spreads to Ankeny schools | Axios | Anti-Vaccine, Healthcare, Sovereign Citizen, White Supremacy | Threat of Legal Action | Misleading Content, Fabricated Content | Coordinated user action | United States of America | 2022-02-23 | Linh Ta | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor | Article | Harassment, Paper Terrorism | |||
Fact Check-The BBC did not release a video suggesting Ukraine was responsible for the missile attack on Kramatorsk railway station | Reuters Fact Check | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Video | Imposter Content | Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom | 2022-04-13 | Reuters Fact Check | Produce: Aggressor | Fact Check | Fake Factcheck, Impersonate Existing News Organisation | ||||
BBC warns over fake news video | BBC News | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Video | Imposter Content | Facebook, State Media, Telegram, Twitter, YouTube | Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom | 2022-04-13 | Alistair Coleman | Produce: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Impersonate Existing News Organisation | |||
🚨URGENT: There’s a FAKE video with BBC branding doing the rounds about the Kramatorsk station attack, saying that Ukraine was responsible. THIS IS NOT A BBC VIDEO. IT IS A FAKE. | Alistair Coleman | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Video | Imposter Content | Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom | 2022-04-13 | Alistair Coleman | Produce: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Tweets | Impersonate Existing News Organisation | ||||
Slipping Racism into the Mainstream: A Theory of Information Laundering | Adam Klein | White Supremacy | Alternative Media, Facebook, Government Figure, Mainstream Media Reporting, YouTube | 2012-11-01 | Adam Klein | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Journal Article | Information Laundering | ||||||
How Conspiracy Theories Get ‘Laundered’ in Cyberspace | DataDrivenInvestor | Worms | 2020-08-21 | Beth Bradford | Position: Aggressor, Produce: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor | Article | Information Laundering | |||||||
Online Information Laundering: The Role of Social Media | Alliance for Securing Democracy | 2016 US Election, Black Lives Matter, Clinton, Immigration, Pizzagate, White Supremacy | Inauthentic Social Media Accounts | Facebook, Reddit, Twitter | Russia, United States of America | 2018-01-09 | Kirill Meleshevich, Bret Schafer | Position: Aggressor, Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Calibrate: Defender, Impact: Defender | Article | Information Laundering | ||||
Exploring the Information-Laundering Ecosystem: The Russian Case | Center for Strategic & International Studies | 2016 US Election | Russia, United States of America | 2017-08-31 | Boris Toucas | Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor, Impact: Defender | Article | Information Laundering | ||||||
From Information Laundering to Influence: Russia's Footprints in Germany | EUvsDisinfo | Anti-Vaccine, Bill Gates, Coronavirus, Pizzagate | Germany, Russia | 2020-12-15 | Unattributed | Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Publish: Defender, Amplify: Defender | Article | Information Laundering | ||||||
‘We Can Only Be Enemies’ | The Atlantic | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Russia, Ukraine | 2022-05-02 | Peter Pomerantsev | Impact: Aggressor | Article | |||||||
I Watched Russian TV So You Don’t Have To | The Atlantic | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Mainstream Media Reporting, State Media | Russia, Ukraine | 2022-03-10 | Olga Khazan | Publish: Aggressor, Amplify: Aggressor, Calibrate: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Article | Whataboutism, Fake Factcheck | |||||
Fact Check-Image purporting to show TIME magazine cover claiming that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky no longer uses ‘z’ and ‘v’ letters is digitally altered | Reuters Fact Check | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Image | Imposter Content | Facebook, Twitter | Ukraine | 2022-04-19 | Unattributed | Produce: Aggressor | Fact Check | Impersonate Existing News Organisation | |||
Fact Check-Fake BBC News social media post quoting President Macron saying Russian sanctions would lead to 60 million refugees in Europe | Reuters Fact Check | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Immigration | Image, Manipulated Image, Screenshot | Imposter Content | Facebook, Twitter | France, Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom | 2022-04-18 | Unattributed | Fact Check | Impersonate Existing News Organisation | ||||
Fact Check-Screenshot purporting to show CNN tweet claiming that child soldiers are fighting in eastern Ukraine is digitally altered | Reuters Fact Check | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, War | Image, Manipulated Image, Screenshot | False Context, Imposter Content | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter | Russia, Ukraine | 2022-04-15 | Unattributed | Produce: Aggressor | Fact Check | Impersonate Existing News Organisation, Media Shared with False Context | |||
Fact Check-Image purporting to show Time magazine cover warning of an impending ice age is digitally altered | Reuters Fact Check | Climate Crisis | Image | Imposter Content | 2021-11-01 | Unattributed | Produce: Aggressor | Fact Check | Impersonate Existing News Organisation | |||||
How Ukraine's 'Ghost of Kyiv' legendary pilot was born | BBC News | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | Image | Misleading Content, False Context | Telegram, Twitter | Government Figure | Russia, Ukraine | 2022-05-01 | Laurence Peter | Amplify: Aggressor, Impact: Aggressor | Article | Amplification via Influencer, Media Shared with False Context | ||
Article Title | Source | Content Context | Content Type | Disinformation Type | Dissemination Platform | Amplification Method | Geography | Article Publish Date | Article Author | Aggressor | Influence Cycle Stage | Type | Tactic |
Mapping to the DISARM framework
DISARM has the technique “Prepare Assets Impersonating Legitimate Entities” (T0099), in which “an influence operation may prepare assets impersonating legitimate entities to further conceal its network identity and add a layer of legitimacy to its operation content”.
In this post I specified the type of Legitimate Entity (a news organisation), which would make this a sub-technique of T0099. It remains to be seen whether there’s justification for different entities having their own categories; as we continue to uncover more impersonations used in influence operations, we can assess whether such sub-techniques should exist.

Threat actors would create impersonations while Preparing for an influence operation. These could be done in Positioning (if creating something like a spoof website to host false information) or in Production (if making something like a false image including the target’s branding).
This is a Stage 2 profile. You can read more about Profile Stages here.