The Kremlin’s Digital Pirates: How Russian Tracking Pixels Harvest Romanians’ Data to Fund Conspiracies and Extremism
For five months, we tracked over 100,000 ads displayed across 131 websites in Eastern Europe. After decoding the hidden mechanisms behind these ads, we uncovered a network of Russian companies. This investigation reveals what data is harvested from Romanians, who ends up receiving it, and why the ads shown on platforms with conspiratorial and extremist content are among the most valuable to this network.
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.
10 key takeaways from EU DisinfoLab’s 2023 conference
Last week, for the third year in a row, we had the pleasure to attend the EU Disinfolab’s 2023 conference. Leaving Brussels for the beautiful city of Krakow in Poland, the event remained a must to anyone looking to stay ahead of the game in the fight against disinformation.
CheckFirst expands CrossOver Project in Finland ahead of 2024 Presidential and EU Elections
A new Milestone reached thanks to EMIFund!
Understanding Your New Rights Under the EU’s Digital Services Act: A User’s Comprehensive Guide
New EU regulations are reshaping internet user’s social media experience and how online advertisements impact them. This article aims at pointing out what changes the Digital Services Act (DSA) already caused on many platforms you may use. The legislation is targeting Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and search engines (VLOSs). Let’s dive in to understand what these changes mean for the users of those platforms.