Incidents

I00001 Blacktivists facebook group

Summary: Internet Research Agency created fake @blacktivists facebook group and twitter account. - Details


I00002 #VaccinateUS

Summary: use both pro- and anti- topic messaging to create an artificial argument online. - Details


I00003 Beyonce protest rallies

Summary: use both pro- and anti- topic messaging to create an artificial argument in real life. - Details


I00004 #Macrongate

Summary: amplified document dump failed because France was prepared for it. - Details


I00005 Brexit vote

Summary: In early 2014, then UK PM David Cameron outlined the changes he aimed to bring about in the EU and in the UK's relationship with it. These were: additional immigration controls, especially for citizens of new EU member states; tougher immigration rules for present EU citizens; new powers for national parliaments collectively to veto proposed EU laws; new free-trade agreements and a reduction in bureaucracy for businesses; a lessening of the influence of the European Court of Human Rights on British police and courts; more power for individual member states, and less for the central EU; and abandonment of the EU notion of "ever closer union".He intended to bring these about during a series of negotiations with other EU leaders and then, if re-elected, to announce a referendum. European Union Referendum Act was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It extended to include and take legislative effect in Gibraltar,and received royal assent on 17 December 2015. Conservative-led Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee concluded (2018) Russia engaged in ‘unconventional warfare’ during the Brexit campaign. This included ‘156,252 Russian accounts tweeting about #Brexit’ and posting ‘over 45,000 Brexit messages in the last 48 hours of the campaign.’ As it said, Kremlin-controlled media, ‘RT and Sputnik had more reach on Twitter for anti-EU content than either Vote Leave or Leave.EU, during the referendum campaign’. The report by Democrats on the Senate foreign relations committee, titled Putin’s asymmetric assault on democracy in Russia and Europe: implications for US national security, pinpoints the way in which UK campaign finance laws do not require disclosure of political donations if they are from “the beneficial owners of non-British companies that are incorporated in the EU and carry out business in the UK”. The senators point out that Ukip and its then-leader, Nigel Farage, did not just fan anti-EU sentiment but also “criticised European sanctions on Russia, and provided flattering assessments of Russian President Putin”. The report adds that although officially the Russian government asserted its neutrality on Brexit, its English-language media outlets RT and Sputnik covered the referendum campaign extensively and offered ‘’systematically one-sided coverage’’. - Details


I00006 Columbian Chemicals

Summary: Early Russian (IRA) “fake news” stories. Completely fabricated; very short lifespan. - Details


I00007 Incirlik terrorists

Summary: Fake story transmitted from Russian media to Trump campaign - Details


I00008 Bujic

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I00009 PhilippinesExpert

Summary: President of the Philippine visited Moscow and forged ties on information strategy in 2017, and afterwards a series of disinformation campaign was noted in Philippine social media and mainstream media, mostly in favor of Philippine president and promoting Russian propaganda. Among this is the appearance of an unknown-before expert on global affairs who was cited frequently in Russian IRA-connected outlets. - Details


I00010 ParklandTeens

Summary: IRA trolls amplified the far right messaging around the attack. Most notably they amplified social media speculation that many of the teens involved were “crisis actors” nefariously injected into the conversation by outside actors with an anti-gun poltical agenda. Other amplifications included ongoing harassment of survivors and claims that the event is a hoax from the right; and fatalist cynicism about gun reform from the left. - Details


I00011 CovingtonTeen

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I00012 ChinaSmog

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I00013 FranceBlacktivists

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I00014 GiletsJaunePileon

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I00015 ConcordDiscovery

Summary: The Office of Special Counsel accused Concord Management (an IRA funder/handler) and its counsel of abusing the discovery process by leaking discovery materials under false pretences: the documents were altered; the documents were portrayed as material obtained by hacking, rather than legal process; the released documents are selected to maximize exposure targets and methods. - Details


I00016 LithuanianElves

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I00017 US presidential elections

Summary: Make Clinton look bad or unpopular, and Trump look good over a long period, to change individuals’ voting intentions. - Details


I00018 DNC email leak incident

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I00019 MacronTiphaine

Summary: Far-right trolls on 4chan and Twitter spreading misinformation about French candidate Macron and spur support for rival candidate Le Pen. - Details


I00020 3000 tanks

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I00021 Armenia elections

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I00022 #Macronleaks

Summary: Countering the spreading of an alleged 9GB of “leaked”, fake documents of Macron campaign - Details


I00023 #dislikemacron

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I00024 #syriahoax

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I00025 EU Army

Summary: Traces back to 2016: Guardian “Is there a secret plan to create an EU army?” French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that Europeans cannot be protected without a "true, European army", as he marks the centenary of the World War One Armistice. On a visit to the former Western Front in Verdun, he said Russia had shown it could be a threat and Europe had to be able "to defend itself better alone". German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed the idea of an intervention force in June, but said it would have to be part of "the structure of defence co-operation". Verdict: “An EU army marching out to war under Brussels’ command is a fantasy shared by Eurosceptics and a small number of federalists. Europe will continue down the road of defence cooperation in a halting way, but an EU army is only for armchair generals.” - Details


I00026 Netherlands referendum on Ukraine

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I00027 crucifiedboy

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I00028 mh17 downed

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I00029 MH17 investigation

Summary: Since the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on 17 July 2014 while flying over eastern Ukraine, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board… wreckage of the aircraft fell near Hrabove in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, 40 km (25 mi) from the border.The shoot-down occurred in the War in Donbass, during the Battle of Shakhtarsk, in an area controlled by pro-Russian rebels. This has proven to be an ongoing example of Russia and their proxies ability to wage a disinformation campaign, and exemplify the use of the 4 D’s (dismiss, distort, distract, and dismay) - Details


I00030 LastJedi

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I00031 antivax

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I00032 Kavanaugh

Summary: Before the Senate SCOTUS confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh, professor Christine Blasey Ford--first anonymously, then publicly--accused Kavanaugh of inappropriate or criminal sexual behavior. Amplified by Russian trolls Right wing operatives first tried to doxx Ford, then to discredit her. Many observers suggest that the Kavanaugh hearings were the largest anti-US Russian online operation for months. - Details


I00033 China 50cent Army

Summary: 50cent Army is a CCP “tool” - “massive secret operation” in China pumping out an estimated 488 million fabricated social media posts per year, part of an effort to “regularly distract the public and change the subject” from any policy-related issues that threaten to anger citizens enough to turn them out onto the streets. But the research finds no evidence these 50-centers are, in fact, paid 50 cents, nor does it find they engage in direct and angry argument with their opponents. Instead, they are mostly bureaucrats already on the public payroll, responding to government directives at a time of heightened tension to flood social media with pro-government cheerleading. - Details


I00034 DibaFacebookExpedition

Summary: In the Expedition, Diba engaged in a highly organized cyber-attack of a Taiwanese political leader. On January 20, 2016 (the day of President Tsai Ing-wen’s inauguration) featuring the posting of an overwhelming number of social media comments in support of a PRC-sanctioned message. Netizens from one of the largest discussion forums in China, known as Diba, coordinated to overcome China’s Great Firewall to flood the Facebook pages of Taiwanese politicians and news agencies with a pro-PRC message, a cyberattack referred to as the “Diba Expedition to Facebook.” Unique for taking place outside of the Chinese Internet system, both transgressing technical and political norms while exposing their actions to an international audience. In spite of the transgressive nature of the action, “Diba Expedition” was highly praised by Chinese official media, in contrast to comparable activities in the past that lacked its explicit pro-government ideology. Yet—reflecting the complexity of Diba’s relationship with the PRC government—the Expedition was shut down after a few days. - Details


I00035 Brazilelections

Summary: Bot activity in Brazil elections - Details


I00036 BrazilPresDebate

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I00037 Rioelections

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I00038 Brazilimpeachment

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I00039 MerkelFacebook

Summary: Top stories about Merkel in both German and English were negative and misleading, most published from fake news sites. - Details


I00040 modamaniSelfie

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I00041 Refugee crime map

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I00042 Saudi/Qatar bot dispute

Summary: In the summer of 2017, Twitter bots—automated accounts—were deployed to boost messaging on both sides of the diplomatic dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.” Calling this a “diplomatic dispute” understates the complexity of regional dynamics, at the center is an alleged report that Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, had made an astonishing speech, and alleged “hack” of Qatar’s official news agency, and further woven into concerns Saudi Arabia has about the influence of public perception, the role of Al Jazeera. - Details


I00043 FCC comments

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I00044 JadeHelm exercise

Summary: In the summer of 2015, thousands of troops from the US Army Special Operations command conducted and multi-state, weeks-long training operation across the southwest. Russian trolls amplified conspiracy theories promoted by far right media operatives such as Alex Jones, specifically: the Jade Helm 15 exercise was a precursor to domestic invasion and subsequent martial law by the Obama Administration in coordination with China. Some versions have deus ex machina such as an asteroid strike. Ultimately the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbot, was forced to speak out on the conspiracy theory, but he hedged on Obama’s motives. - Details


I00045 Skripal

Summary: On 4 March 2018, Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military officer and double agent for the UK's intelligence services, and his daughter Yulia Skripal were poisoned in Salisbury, England, with a Novichok nerve agent known as A-234, according to official UK sources and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) - Details


I00046 North Macedonia

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I00047 Sea of Azov

Summary: An international incident occurred on 25 November 2018 when the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) coast guard fired upon and captured three Ukrainian Navy vessels attempting to pass from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov through the Kerch Strait on their way to the port of Mariupol. In 2014, Russia had annexed the nearby Crimean Peninsula, which is dominantly internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory. It later constructed the Crimean Bridge across the strait. Under a 2003 treaty, the strait and the Azov Sea are intended to be the shared territorial waters of both countries, and freely accessible. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), which is also responsible for border protection, claims that the ships illegally entered Russian waters. The FSB alleges that crews did not comply with demands to stop. In the scuffle, a Russian border patrol ship rammed and damaged a Ukrainian Navy tugboat. Russian forces later seized all three Ukrainian ships, confiscating them for violating Russia's border. Six Ukrainian navy soldiers were injured, the Ukrainian navy reported. - Details


I00048 White Helmets

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I00049 White Helmets: Chemical Weapons

Summary: On 7 April 2018, a high number of civilians were killed in the besieged Syrian city of Douma, with evidence pointing towards another chemical attack by the regime, according to the EU. Subsequent to this event, a series of images "prove" that the White Helmets "staged" the chemical attack in Syria. - Details


I00050 #HandsOffVenezuela

Summary: Venezuela has been thrown into turmoil after Guaidó declared himself interim president Jan. 23. The 35-year-old president of the National Assembly says Venezuela's constitution grants him power to take control of the government because Maduro was re-elected last year by fraud. Guaidó has called for Maduro to leave office and call new elections. More than 50 nations, including the United States and most of Latin America, concluded that Maduro's re-election last year was a fraud. They have recognized Juan Guaidó, president of the opposition-led National Assembly, as Venezuela's legitimate head of state, endorsing his mission to establish a transitional government and hold fresh elections. Maduro has remained defiant in the face of domestic and international pressure, securing the support of the governments of Iran and Russia, as well as the loyalty of the Venezuelan military. - Details


I00051 Integrity Initiative

Summary: The UK Foreign Office has accused Russian state media of trying to discredit a government-funded body that works to counter Kremlin disinformation. A spokesperson said the Institute for Statecraft was hacked several weeks ago and documents were "published and amplified by Kremlin news channels". The FCO comments on the IfS were issued after a news report said the group had retweeted stories critical of Labour. Western officials believe the group involved in the hack is linked to the Russian state. Since then internal documents have been leaked to the Russian media about the organisation's activities, including lists of journalists it had contacted. The Foreign Office has provided £2.2m in funding to the institute over the last two years supported its work to counter disinformation overseas and not in the UK - Details


I00052 China overiew

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I00053 China Huawei CFO Arrest

Summary: Dec. 1: Canadian authorities arrest Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver’s airport while she is en route from Hong Kong to Mexico, after an extradition request from the Americans. The news becomes public on Dec. 5. Dec. 7: In Vancouver, Meng appears in court, where allegations of fraud are laid out. The U.S. alleges Meng misled American banks in a bid to get around American sanctions on Iran. Geopolitically complex issue combines US/China trade; Security concerns/issues related to Huawei’s 5G wireless equipment; diplomacy between Canada & China as Chinese subsequently arrest Canadian citizens. - Details


I00054 China Muslims

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I00055 50 Cent Army

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I00056 Iran Influence Operations

Summary: Iranian interference in the politics of Arab countries has become more self-evident since the Arab Spring of 2011. Iran has been trying to widen its influence in the region in a political confrontation with Saudi Arabia. Factor long-held hostility to US (Iran as a member of the “Axis of Evil”) & Isreal; it’s funding of proxies (Hezbolla) and Shia militia’s in Iraq; and most recently having the Revolutionary Guard being designated a terror organization; the seeming collapse of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (nuclear programme) and expanding economic sanctions all add up to an increased likihood of Iran expanding their information operations. While there is history to Iran’s information/influence operations, starting with FireEye’s report about Iranian “fake news” websites, and subsequent reports by DFRLab (Jan 31, 2019 and March 26, 2019) we have strong document proof and assets that highlight Iran’s activities. - Details


I00057 Mexico Election

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I00058 Chemnitz

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I00059 Myanmar - Rohingya

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I00060 White Genocide

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I00061 Military veterans Targetting

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I00062 Brexit/UK ongoing

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I00063 Olympic Doping Scandal

Summary: On 18 July 2016, Richard McLaren, a Canadian attorney retained by WADA to investigate Grigor Rodchenkov (the former head of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory, the Anti-Doping Center, which was suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in November 2015 for facilitating Russia's elaborate state-sponsored doping program. Rodchenkov helped develop and distribute banned performance-enhancing substances for thousands of Russian Olympians from 2005 to 2015. He made headlines in 2016 as a whistleblower, helping expose the complex and extensive nature of Russia's doping program. His revelations lead to Russia's partial ban from the 2016 Summer Olympics and total ban from the 2018 Winter Olympics.). These allegations led to a 97-page report covering significant state-sponsored doping in Russia. The investigation found corroborating evidence after conducting witness interviews, reviewing thousands of documents, analysis of hard drives, forensic analysis of urine sample collection bottles, and laboratory analysis of individual athlete samples, with "more evidence becoming available by the day." The report concluded that it was shown "beyond a reasonable doubt" that Russia's Ministry of Sport, the Centre of Sports Preparation of the National Teams of Russia, the Federal Security Service (FSB), and the WADA-accredited laboratory in Moscow had "operated for the protection of doped Russian athletes" within a "state-directed failsafe system" using "the disappearing positive [test] methodology" (DPM) after the country's poor medal count during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. McLaren stated that urine samples were opened in Sochi in order to swap them "without any evidence to the untrained eye". The official producer of BEREG-KIT security bottles used for anti-doping tests, Berlinger Group, stated, "We have no knowledge of the specifications, the methods or the procedures involved in the tests and experiments conducted by the McLaren Commission." - Details