in·ter·net ob·serv·a·to·ry
Facebook takes down inauthentic assets impersonating government agencies in Yemen
We analyzed a now-suspended network of Facebook Pages, Groups, and profiles linked to individuals in Yemen. We found accounts that impersonated government ministries in Saudi Arabia, posts that linked to anti-Houthi websites, and pro-Turkish Pages and Gro
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New White Paper on China's Full-Spectrum Information Operations
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The Ministry of Made-Up Pages: Yemen-Based Actors Impersonate Government Agencies to Spread Anti-Houthi Content
Two Faces of Russian Information Operations: Coronavirus Coverage in Spanish
Announcing the Election Integrity Partnership
New White Paper on China's Full-Spectrum Information Operations
Suicide prevention content in multiple languages on major platforms
Comparing Platform Hate Speech Policies: Reddit's Inevitable Evolution
Virality Project: Saudi Arabia State Media and COVID-19
COVID-19 has directly or indirectly affected every country, providing an opportunity for comparative analysis of the ways governments use the pandemic to pursue political objectives. SIO has been conducting case studies investigating how various state media apparatuses are responding to the crisis, and the political dimensions of coronavirus misinformation around the world. Here we focus on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, investigating how its state media (and media formally or informally linked to the ruling royal family) have discussed the pandemic.
Dispatches from the June 2020 Twitter Inauthentic Activity Takedown
Mask Diplomacy: Chinese Narratives in the COVID Era
Analysis of June 2020 Twitter takedowns linked to China, Russia and Turkey
Virality Project (Russia): Penguins and Protests
Digital Street Conflict
Online Misinformation about Vaccines
An Investigation into Domestic Nigerian Social Media Financial Scams
Virality Project (US): Marketing meets Misinformation
Plandemic was one step in a larger process to raise the profile of its subject. SIO had begun to observe an increasing number of posts about Plandemic’s subject, Judy Mikovits, beginning on April 16. For two and a half weeks, we observed a series of cross-platform moments in which Judy Mikovits – a scientist whose work was retracted by journal editors – was recast as an expert whistleblower exposing a vast government cover-up.
Launching the SIO Virality Project
Poland Presidential Election 2020: Disinformation Strikes the Military
Coordinated behavior across 18 pro-Saif Gaddafi Facebook Pages
Stanford Internet Observatory launches attribution.news with First Draft
Poland Presidential Election 2020: The Pandemic Sows Chaos
Analysis of April 2020 Twitter takedowns linked to Saudia Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Honduras, Serbia, and Indonesia
On March 11, 2020 Twitter shared with the Stanford Internet Observatory accounts and tweets associated with five distinct takedowns. These include:
Virality Project (China): Coronavirus Conspiracy Claims
As scientists continue to study how the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Wuhan, China, and around the world, the infection’s early pathways have proven fertile ground for speculation and conspiracy theories. Although COVID-19’s earliest origins may remain uncertain, the story of one volley in the ongoing U.S.-China blame game shows that misinformation about the disease can be traced to specific speculations, distortions, and amplifications.
Blurring the lines of media authenticity: Prigozhin-linked group funding Libyan broadcast media
The Stanford Internet Observatory has been investigating new facets to the manipulation of the local media environment in Libya: Russian actors who are known to have previously created and sponsored online news media fronts and associated Facebook pages, now appear to be expanding into similar activities in broadcast media.
Virality Project (China): Pandemics & Propaganda
The perception of China’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been a significant challenge for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over the past two months. The CCP has been attempting to control the narrative and deflect blame since the start of the outbreak, both domestically and abroad.
Polish Presidential Election 2020: Two Months Out
For a broader look at the upcoming Polish election, its stakes and major figures, see our scene-setter.