Unveiling GRU’s Information Operations Troops with OSINT and Medals
We tracked the infrastructure of one of the most secretive units of Russian intelligence by using phaleristics (i.e. the academic study of medals and military decorations) and traditional OSINT techniques.
CheckFirst and Filigran connect the Pravda network to OpenCTI
Meet CheckFirst’s Import Connector, which brings in real-time data directly from the Pravda network.
The TikTok effect: How The App Shaped Political Discourse During Finnish European Elections
After focusing on YouTube & Google, a new report by Faktabaari and CheckFirst as part of the CrossOver Finland project has uncovered worrying trends around TikTok’s possible impact on the 2024 European elections in Finland.
Operation Overload: how pro-Russian actors flood newsrooms with fake content and seek to divert their efforts
“Please Check”. More than 800 organisations, among which many media outlets have been flooded with emails and social media mentions urging them to verify dubious claims undermining Ukraine, France and Germany for the most part. The issue is that these solicitations are part of a massive pro-Russian operation, still ongoing at the time of writing.
Unchecked Political Ads: A Surge of Pro-Russian Propaganda on Meta’s Platforms Ahead of EU Elections
Between May 1 and May 27, 2024, Meta approved at least 275 pro-Russian propaganda ads targeting Italy, Germany, France, and Poland. These ads, lacking the required political disclaimers, reached over three million accounts across these nations.
New report: Confusing Google search predictions and Google News sources, and unbalanced politics on TikTok and Instagram
Last March, Faktabaari & CheckFirst showed the significant over-representation of right-wing voices in YouTube’s video recommendations during the Finnish presidential election.
Facebook Hustles (continued): European Commission cracks down on Meta for letting fraudulent ads through
We welcome the action from the European Commission to open formal proceedings into Meta’s Facebook and Instagram over suspected breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Last June, we revealed how nefarious ads leading users into a massive scam operation could be found on the platforms, despite being against their terms of service. Almost one year later, similar ads can still easily be found on Meta’s services.
Mozilla commissions CheckFirst to conduct a stress test of Ad Repositories
We’re proud to publish today together with the Mozilla Foundation the first comprehensive report on the state of ad libraries which have emerged or been strengthened by requirements under the European Digital Services Act.
CheckFirst and Faktabaari present a new study showing Finnish far-right videos highly recommended by YouTube during the presidential race
CheckFirst and Faktabaari present their first report on the CrossOver Finland project—a significant milestone.
Reflecting on a remarkable year: our 2023 journey
As we bid farewell to 2023, it’s time for us to take a moment and reflect on the incredible journey CheckFirst has experienced over the past year. From groundbreaking conferences to the launch of exciting projects, 2023 has been — thanks to you all — a year of growth, collaboration and achievement. Let’s take a look back.
Amazon’s Risky Recommendations
In a landmark research collaboration, CheckFirst and AI Forensics publish a comprehensive study examining the intricate facets of Amazon’s recommendation algorithm, unveiling concerning content amplification and user entrapment in dubious narratives.