We pioneered algorithm analysis and deploy expert skills to probe the digital space and its actors.
📫 The May edition of our newsletter "Indeed" is out! Explore the Pravda dashboard, our hour-by-hour tracker of Russia's "Portal Kombat" network.
Read the newsletter: https://r.crossover.social/3glnrijxzlxpfe.html?t=1746538461059
Subscribe: https://checkfirst.network/newsletter/
📫 The April edition of our newsletter "Indeed" is out! While new presidential elections in Romania are coming, it features new findings about the influence of digital platforms on public opinion.
Read the newsletter: https://r.crossover.social/3gku9l7xzlxpfe.html?t=1744617801857
Subscribe: https://checkfirst.network/newsletter/
🚨 NEW REPORT
🔎 Our 2nd investigation with the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) shows how the Russian propaganda and disinformation “Pravda” network extended its coverage and aims (and succeeds) at polluting large language models (LLMs) and Wikipedia.
🗒️ We also demonstrate the inability of X’s Community notes to aptly address the spread of “Pravda” content on the platform.
▶️ Read our summary https://checkfirst.network/pravda-network-worldwide-expansion-and-llm-wikipedia-pollution/
▶️ Read the report https://dfrlab.org/2025/03/12/pravda-network-wikipedia-llm-x/
The February edition of our newsletter is out. It features #SDALeak, our latest investigation in collaboration with @team and @aiforensics_org.
Find out more here: https://sh1.sendinblue.com/3gg9x57xzlxpfe.html?t=1738940769511
✍🏽 Be sure to sign up for upcoming issues of Indeed!, our monthly update.
https://checkfirst.network/newsletter/
Our new #OSINT open-source tool, #Wikipedia External Links Scanner, is now live on #GitHub! This project helps you search multiple Wikipedia language editions for external links to specific domains, pinpoint who introduced each link, and gather detailed user information
https://github.com/CheckFirstHQ/wikipedia-external-links-scanner/
Between August 2023 and October 2024, #Meta is estimated to have made around $338,000 from ads associated with the Kremlin-linked Social Design Agency (SDA), despite ongoing sanctions.
This key finding is part of our latest research in partnership with @team & @aiforensics_org (🔎 https://checkfirst.network/influence-by-design-how-meta-accepted-russian-propaganda-payments-despite-sanctions/
🔗 For a full overview of the #SDALeak report, read this New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/17/business/russia-disinformation-meta.html?searchResultPosition=1
Meta accepts Russian propaganda payments despite EU, US, and UK sanctions. Discover how the Kremlin-linked Social Design Agency (SDA) exploits vulnerabilities in Meta’s advertising ecosystem to target democratic institutions, across Europe and beyond.
#SDALeak
https://checkfirst.network/influence-by-design-how-meta-accepted-russian-propaganda-payments-despite-sanctions/
Romanian presidential election: It's not all about TikTok. We've uncovered over 4k political ads on Meta's platforms. They were run from 25 facebook pages tied to a network of websites pushing unverified claims. The coordinated campaign is designed to push far-right candidates.
https://checkfirst.network/research-note-metas-role-in-romanias-2024-presidential-election/
Tomorrow we will have an exciting webinar with Noémie Krack, where we will explore how the AI act and DSA can overcome the challenges of Gen AI and disinformation
It's not too late 👉 sign up and join us at 14:30 CEST!
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/9617302825077/WN_m0OuRGfBTWaQUdNMbQQCPw
Mozilla Foundation lays off 30% staff, drops advocacy division
https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/05/mozilla-foundation-lays-off-30-staff-drops-advocacy-division/
🗣️ "The goal of Operation Overload is to use you, the fact checkers, to amplify their narrative."
At the first #EFCSNConference in Brussels, our CTO Amaury discussed Operation Overload, the massive disinformation campaign we uncovered in June with @team.
💰 He further advocated for significant funding: "We need massive investment from the EU to have the best people working on these issues and not for the platforms."
🔎 Read our update on #OperationOverload here: https://checkfirst.network/operation-overload-a-growing-disinformation-threat-now-targeting-the-u-s-presidential-election/
Russia-linked influence campaign shifts focus to US presidential election: report
https://therecord.media/russia-us-presidential-election-influence-operation-overload
We express concern over recent raids on two @DFRLab team members’ homes in Georgia. Supporting transparent, nonpartisan research is vital, especially in sensitive times. Read the Atlantic Council’s full statement here: https://dfrlab.org/2024/10/24/statement-on-the-home-raids-of-two-atlantic-council-staff-in-georgia/
✨ We're proud that our work on Operation Overload has been used by Recorded Future as a source for this threat analysis. It highlights how the focus of the operation is now shifting to the US presidential election & specifically Kamala Harris.
🔎 You can read their analysis here:
https://www.recordedfuture.com/research/operation-overload-impersonates-media-influence-2024-us-election
Our work on Operation Overload can be found here: https://checkfirst.network/operation-overload-a-growing-disinformation-threat-now-targeting-the-u-s-presidential-election/
As we return to our daily work across Europe, we carry with us the insights we gained from last week's @DisinfoEU conference in Riga. We reflect on the deep sense of responsibility and humility that emerged from the discussions we shared.
Here are our top takeaways from #Disinfo2024, inspired by the collective intelligence of our remarkable community.
#Disinfo2024 #disinformation #FIMI #OSINT 🫶🏼 @DisinfoEU
https://checkfirst.network/eu-disinfolab-2024-conference-our-key-takeaways-from-disinfo2024/
📫 The October issue of Indeed is out! We cover the latest findings from Operation Overload, the massive disinformation campaign we revealed in June with @team, our upcoming conference talks & more.
🔔 Don't forget to sign up for the next edition of Indeed, our monthly newsletter (✍🏾 https://checkfirst.network/newsletter/)
#OperationOverload
https://sh1.sendinblue.com/3gdgs97xzlxpfe.html?t=1728035898751
Get registered for #Disinfo2024 before its too late!! ⏰
Registration closes on 25 September (that's next week🙀), make sure to check out the exciting updates to our program! https://www.disinfo.eu/disinfo2024-programme/
Request your tickets now! https://www.disinfo.eu/conference
