Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab)

February marks one year since the death of political dissident #Alexei Navalny. After his death, surges of scams were posted to Facebook impersonating the Navalny team, Putin’s political opponents, or posing as credible news sources. In the DFRLab’s latest investigation, Valentin C. and Kristina Gildejeva discovered: ?? 83 Meta ads that linked to scams encouraging users to share personal information ?? Inauthentic pages pretending to be credible news sources promoting the scam ?? Scams mimicking the “European partnership investment programme,” which previously targeted victims with fake European initiatives ?? Deepfake videos and miscaptioned content used to impersonate political figures and spread rumors Currently, 9 out of 17 these pages are still active. ?Explore more: Scammers impersonated Navalny team, news outlets to promote fake stories and lure victims - DFRLab. ?

?? The Ukraine Russia conflict isn’t just on a battlefield...it’s online too. Three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, disinformation remains a powerful weapon. The DFRLab’s latest by Iryna A. & Roman Osadchuk dives into the persistent "biolabs" narrative, building on our #NarrativeWarfare research. The narrative about US-funded biolabs in Ukraine isn’t new—it’s been recycled for over a decade. From bird flu conspiracies to claims of biolab relocations to Africa, the tactics shift but the goal remains: Undermine trust and sow division. In late 2024, we witnessed a resurgence of this narrative, with new claims about biolab relocations to Africa and links to bird flu outbreaks. Explore how disinformation remains a critical front in this conflict. ?? Read more: https://lnkd.in/gbM6m-Vd #UkraineRussiaWar #Biolabs #UkraineAnniversary?

Get ready for dynamic discussions at #RightsCon25! On February 25th – 26th 2025, DFRLab's Democracy + Tech Fellows are taking the stage to tackle issues at the intersection of human rights and technology. Join Senior Research Fellow Iria Puyosa on Feb 25: ?? 10:45 PM CST: Explore data integration in “safe cities.” ?? 11:45 PM CST: Uncover strategies to safeguard encrypted messaging apps. Then catch Resident Senior Fellow Konstantinos Komaitis, PhD: ?? Feb 25, 2:00 PM CST: Dive into multi-stakeholder digital governance. ?? Feb 26, 1:15 PM CST: Examine the future of internet preservation and cyber governance. Register now: https://lnkd.in/dWTjri2c

The Musk Effect: X's impact on Germany’s election The far-right AfD outperform other German parties on X. Most of this engagement from social media users is driven by Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, and her online interactions with Elon Musk. That has allowed the AfD to gain increased engagement on X largely from English-language accounts. This is one of the results of an analysis we – AlgorithmWatch – conducted in collaboration with the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab). It clearly shows how Musk uses his own platform and enormous reach to influence German politics. At the same time, we see no evidence of either increased social media engagement of the AfD beyond the “Musk bump” to Alice Weidel, nor systematic suppression of anti-AfD accounts by X’s recommender systems. In one instance, however, a particularly popular anti-Musk post by Zentrum für Politische Sch?nheit was hidden in a way that was not consistent with how other similar content was treated and does not seem to have been visible to the post’s authors. This made it hard for the group to appeal, in a way which may run contrary to the European Union’s Digital Services Act. Thanks a lot, Dr. Oliver Marsh and Mark Scott, for this excellent piece of research!

???? The #AIActionSummit in Paris was billed as a global moment for AI governance, much like the Olympics for tech policy. Just like hosting the Games, summits come with prestige but little lasting impact. France took center stage, but with closed-door talks and key countries refusing to sign the final communiqué, the real question remains: was it worth it? ?? Read Konstantinos Komaitis, PhD's biggest takeaways: https://lnkd.in/eM7x9Rv3

Elon Musk’s interactions with AfD leader Alice Weidel are reshaping Germany’s digital landscape ahead of the February 23 election ???? ??? Key findings from the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) and AlgorithmWatch: ?? AfD outperformed other German parties on X, largely due to Alice Weidel’s engagement with Musk. ?? The “Musk bump” amplified AfD’s reach, especially among English-language accounts. ?? No systematic manipulation or suppression of anti-AfD voices was found. ?? An anti-Musk post faced inconsistent visibility, raising questions under the EU’s Digital Services Act. Musk’s influence appears to be personal, not algorithmic, highlighting the power of digital discourse in modern politics. ?? DFRLab's Mark Scott takes a closer look at the impact of Musk’s personal influence:?https://lnkd.in/ebkHE3vM #GermanElections2025 #AliceWeidel #AfD #ElonMusk #TheMuskEffect

Facing increasing international isolation since Georgia’s parliamentary elections in October, the Georgian Dream party has intensified its propaganda efforts, stalling the country's EU accession process. DFRLab’s Sopo Gelava unpacks how Georgian Dream is: Spreading propaganda by selectively using quotes from Western leaders and commentators, fueling anti-EU sentiment. Amplifying misleading narratives through an interview with US diplomatic appointee, whose claims were disputed by fact-checkers. Leveraging social media as a tool to push pro-government messaging Explore Georgia Dream’s tactics: https://lnkd.in/eCSfGUcj

The #2025AIActionSummit marked a fundamental shift in global AI policy ?? ?? While safety and ethical concerns remain relevant, competition is now the central focus. Key takeaways: ?? The US: Prioritizing AI leadership, with VP JD Vance declaring, “The United States of America is the leader in AI, and our administration plans to keep it that way.” ?? Europe: Rethinking regulation, as French President Macron stated, “It’s very clear we have to resynchronize with the rest of the world.” As AI innovation accelerates, how will these divergent approaches shape the global landscape? ?? Read Mark Scott's latest analysis: https://lnkd.in/d6tJYsSK

I came to Paris for the #AIActionSummit under the belief that Emmanuel Macron wanted to use the gathering of global leaders to champion France’s AI industry. I leave with a clear view that AI #policymaking has shifted from a focus on safety to competition. Yes, efforts to corral the emerging technology’s downsides will continue — by governments, companies and others. But in these increased geopolitical times, politicians are doubling down on #artificialintelligence as a means to boost domestic growth. That includes policies aimed at funding domestic infrastructure and promoting rival visions of what AI should look like — not to promote safety, but to promote national economic interests. More via Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) ??

???? ?? In summer 2024, as Kenyans protested a controversial finance bill, a network of accounts on X coordinated to discredit protesters and amplify support for the government—many using AI-generated images. More than fifty accounts promoting these hashtags appear linked to a marketing firm hiring influencers to shape political narratives online. This follows a troubling trend in Kenya—past research from Mozilla Foundation, African Digital Democracy Observatory and BBC documented how influencers have been paid to manipulate online discourse. What does this say about the evolving role of AI and influencer marketing in disinformation campaigns? ?? Read the full investigation: https://lnkd.in/eFJjwWyJ