Craig Silverman
Contact this reporter at craig.silverman@buzzfeed.com
This Giant Ad Fraud Scheme Drained Users' Batteries And Data By Running Hidden Video Ads In Android Apps
A scheme to stealthily run video ads behind banner images drained users' batteries and data while they used popular Android apps.
Craig Silverman
• 5 days ago
The Eerie Absence Of Viral Fakes After The New Zealand Mosque Attacks
The shooter’s media plan was so comprehensive, and his content spread so quickly, that there was little room for fakes to fill the void.
Craig Silverman
• 11 days ago
Reddit Has Become A Battleground Of Alleged Chinese Trolls
“Bad enough to have to deal with Russian Ops and the Alt-Right, but now we have to deal with Chinabots as well.”
Craig Silverman
• 12 days ago
A Former Heavy Metal Musician Who Worked For Obama’s Half-Brother Is Pushing Pedophile News On Facebook
The Washington Pundit is one of several sites pushing false, outdated stories about pedophilia — and being rewarded with viral traffic from Facebook and Twitter.
Craig Silverman
• 22 days ago
Canadians Think The US Is Just As Likely To Try And Influence The Next Election As China, New Poll Says
A new poll also shows Canadians have little or no confidence that social media companies can prevent foreign entities from interfering in the election.
Craig Silverman
• One month ago
The Fake Newsletter: Did Facebook Help Kill Vine?
UK committee report calls the company “digital gangsters.”
Jane Lytvynenko
• One month ago
Twitter Suspended A DC Think Tank For Violating Its Rules Against Fake Accounts
BuzzFeed News previously revealed the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology was using fake accounts to promote its work. Now it's under scrutiny again.
Craig Silverman
• One month ago
How An Apocalyptic Preacher And QAnon Followers Made A False Pope Francis Quote Go Viral
The fake quote has been spreading online for close to two years, but it suddenly got traction on Facebook and Twitter in the past month.
Craig Silverman
• One month ago
How A Canadian Yellow Vest Site Used Fake Accounts And Marketing Savvy To Monetize Outrage
YellowVestGroup.com shows how different actors will target Canadian politics ahead of the fall federal election.
Craig Silverman
• One month ago
People Are Renting Out Their Facebook Accounts In Exchange For Cash And Free Laptops
PSA: This is a security and privacy nightmare that will get your Facebook account banned.
Craig Silverman
• 2 months ago
These Digital Ad Fraudsters Went To Court To Try To Get Their Earnings Back. It Didn’t Work Out Well For Them.
Rather than fearing the law, these fraudsters tried to use it to go after a legitimate company.
Craig Silverman
• 2 months ago
These Are 50 Of The Biggest Fake News Hits On Facebook In 2018
A BuzzFeed News analysis found that 50 of the biggest fake stories of 2018 generated roughly 22 million total shares, reactions, and comments on Facebook.
Craig Silverman
• 2 months ago
A NY Times Reporter Spoke At An Event Organized By Alabama Dirty Tricksters
New York Times reporter Scott Shane spoke at an event organized by the group who ran a disinformation op aimed at helping defeat Roy Moore in Alabama.
Craig Silverman
• 2 months ago
Please Welcome China’s WeChat To The #Resistance
Negative articles and comments about Trump were censored on the Chinese internet as recently as this summer. But now the floodgates appear to be open.
Craig Silverman
• 3 months ago
Chinese Mobile App Companies Are A National Security Risk, Says A Top Democrat
“It’s enormously worrisome to me that Google allowed these highly over-permissioned apps to gain such prominence,” he said.
Craig Silverman
• 3 months ago
“I Wonder What Will Happen Next”: Alleged Ad Fraud Masterminds React To Being Found By The FBI
Recently unsealed court documents and reporting from BuzzFeed News provide an inside look at how the FBI investigated two ad fraud operations.
Craig Silverman
• 3 months ago
Google Removed Two Popular Cheetah Mobile And Kika Tech Apps After An Investigation Sparked By BuzzFeed News
The removal comes after a BuzzFeed News report about the apps’ activity. It's a huge blow to two of China’s biggest app developers.
Craig Silverman
• 3 months ago
Read These Tips Before You Download Apps For Your Phone
Be smart about the apps you download, and learn the danger signs that an app is up to no good.
Craig Silverman
• 3 months ago
8 People Are Facing Charges As A Result Of The FBI’s Biggest-Ever Ad Fraud Investigation
The men are facing 13 charges for allegedly running sophisticated global ad fraud schemes.
Craig Silverman
• 3 months ago
Cheetah Mobile's Stock Is Down After A BuzzFeed News Report About Ad Fraud In Its Apps
The company said it's "very seriously" examining the allegations that seven of its most popular apps are engaged in ad fraud.
Craig Silverman
• 3 months ago