Craig Silverman
Contact this reporter at craig.silverman@buzzfeed.com
Trump’s Favorite Meme-Maker Adopted A Fake Name To Go On Trump’s Favorite TV Network
The pro-Trump cable news channel used a fake identity for a pseudonymous meme-maker.
We Found The Pseudonymous Man Behind One Of The Oldest Conservative News Outlets Online
“That’s all proprietary.”
Canadian Spies See Their Vast New Powers As A Tool To Fight Foreign Influence Campaigns
CSIS threat-reduction powers, granted in 2015, are seen as a tool to address foreign influence in Canada’s upcoming election campaign.
Foreign Actors Interfering In The Canadian Election Are Unlikely To Face Sanctions
Canada’s intelligence agencies have already identified foreign influence campaigns playing out in advance of the election.
These Bizarre Kamala Harris And Mark Zuckerberg Conspiracy Sites Are Run By A Montessori School Operator
Sites from American Intelligence Media have launched fringe conspiracy theories into the mainstream.
Canada’s Spy Agency Says Voters Are Being Targeted By Foreign Influence Campaigns
“Threat actors are seeking to influence the Canadian public and interfere with Canada’s democratic institutions and processes,” a CSIS spokesperson said.
A New Racist Campaign Against Kamala Harris Is Taking Shape
“Seeing the tweets declaring that Kamala isn’t black enough because her parents are from Jamaica and India, I had an immediate flashback to the 2008 campaign.”
How To Game Google To Make Negative Results Disappear
Google-savvy reputation consultants will cover up arrests, poor customer reviews, and other image-killing content for the right price.
Facebook Turned Off Search Features Used To Catch War Criminals, Child Predators, And Other Bad Actors
The changes by Facebook are “a potential disaster for the human rights and war crimes community.”
White Nationalist Groups Banned By Facebook Are Still On The Platform
“Facebook likes to make a PR move and say that they’re doing something, but they don’t always follow up on that.”
How Dubious Claims About Muslims Wanting To Ban Dogs In Public Are Used To Stoke Anger
“These posters — and the conspiracists who amplify them — help intensify anti-Muslim sentiment in a way that is destructive to democracy.”
Facebook Won’t Remove Doctored Content During The Canadian Election
Election authorities could still investigate false or misleading content like doctored videos, but the social media giant said it’s not its role to decide where the “line” is.
Canadian Lobby Groups Plan A Big-Money Ad Blitz Before New Election Rules Kick In
Third parties in Canada can spend unlimited money on political ads before June 30.
Why The Altered Videos Of Pelosi Will Never Go Away
“This is her Benghazi.”
Facebook Removed Over 2 Billion Fake Accounts, But The Problem Is Getting Worse
“I find this an odd time for Facebook to publicly pat themselves on the back.”
Twitter Is Showing More Ads, And People Are Seeing Lots Of Weird Crap As A Result
One malicious campaign used false articles about Drake and the Weeknd to promote casinos.
A Huge Chinese Video App Is Charging People, Draining Their Batteries, And Exposing Data Without Their Knowledge
VidMate told BuzzFeed News it was investigating the claims, but declined to share basic information about its employees and ownership.
An Iranian Disinformation Operation Impersonated Dozens Of Media Outlets To Spread Fake Articles
A case study in how “social media is being treated as a disinformation laboratory."
Facebook Says Page With Far-Right, Anti-Muslim Content Doesn’t Violate Its Standards
Never Again Canada, which has nearly 235,000 followers, spreads misleading content and uses a URL-masking technique to deceive its audience.
Vulnerable Groups Could Be Targeted And Silenced Online Ahead Of 2020 Election, Researchers Warn
Extremists often hijack online discussions among vulnerable communities to sow division and spread disinformation.