@AtlanticCouncil's Digital Forensic Research Lab. Cultivating a global network of digital forensic analysts (#DigitalSherlocks) to combat disinformation.

Washington, DC
Joined April 2016
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
🎥 In the new masterclass video of #GIJNAcademy, @sayyara_a, associate director for capacity building at @DFRLab, shares her approach to open source investigations. She explains why open source reporting is never about using a single tool or source, but a combination of methods that reinforce and verify each other. Watch the full video here ⬇️ twp.ai/4hvmzl
4
17
2,364
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
Russia’s new AI law puts domestic models under state control. Moscow now wants to sell the same model abroad. But buying Russian AI likely trades one dependence for another, writes @DFRlab’s @EtoBuziashvili. atlanticcouncil.org/dispatch…
7
1
7
5,954
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
🎤 Meet our #WEASA2026 speaker! We're excited to host again @SGelava, Associate Director, Research at @AtlanticCouncil's @DFRLab. No WEASA without an #OSINT workshop! Learn practical skills in geolocation, verification & fact-checking to safely navigate today's info landscape.
1
1
449
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
🗓️ TOMORROW | 🕦 11:30 a.m. ET Join the @AtlanticCouncil's Democracy + Tech initiative as they launch a new report examining the future of global connectivity financing and strategic competition over digital infrastructure. Register today ➡️ bit.ly/4oqcq3V
1
2
4
1,433
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
🗓️ June 16 | 🕦 11:30 a.m. ET Join the @AtlanticCouncil's Democracy + Tech initiative as they launch a new report examining the future of global connectivity financing and strategic competition over digital infrastructure. Register today ➡️ bit.ly/4oqcq3V
1
3
1
4
1,245
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
Who will finance the future of global connectivity? Join us for the launch of a new report examining how the US & its allies can expand digital infrastructure, close the digital divide, & compete with China's Digital Silk Road. 🗓 June 16 | 11:30 AM ET bit.ly/4v759c4
4
2
958
Come get trained up on all things counter-misinformation, responsible use of AI, and voting and media consumption trends w/ DDIA and @AtlanticCouncil @DFRLab from August-October. Apply for the Fall cohort of LMDP by Sunday, July 5! We have 20 slots! airtable.com/apppKWNcRDngzaF…
1
3
3
390
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
In the run-up to Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections, the Russian organization the Evrazia Foundation has continued to operate freely in the country, despite being under U.S., EU, and UK sanctions and having a history of interfering in electoral processes. Operating under the guise of humanitarian programs and educational initiatives, Evrazia positions itself abroad as a tool of Kremlin influence. The organization runs media schools, camps, forums, and social assistance programs, yet in various countries its activities have been linked to influencing electoral processes, covert fundraising, and destabilizing actions directed against democratic institutions. This joint investigation by CivilNet and DFRLab shows how, ahead of parliamentary elections, Evrazia is replicating in Armenia the model of electoral interference it employed in Moldova. In cooperation with a representative of a pro-Russian political force in Armenia, Evrazia launched an online petition platform aimed at rallying Armenians around a religious issue, while also including political and electoral demands in the petition. It has not been possible to independently verify the authenticity of the number of signatories claimed by the platform. Through its platform, Evrazia also organizes gatherings near Armenian churches in Armenia and abroad. In addition, the organization’s representatives have openly offered to pay for plane tickets for Armenians living in Russia to bring them to Armenia and ensure their participation in the elections, repeating the tactic used in Moldova ahead of the 2024 elections. In September 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added Evrazia to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, citing the organization’s participation in “Russia’s covert global influence operations.” In October 2024, the European Union imposed sanctions on Evrazia for actions aimed at destabilizing Moldova. In April 2025, the United Kingdom took the same step for acting on behalf of sanctioned Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor. An NGO in name, an instrument of influence in essence Evrazia carries out cultural, educational, and professional programs in countries that Moscow considers its “near abroad.” These include youth programs, teacher training, journalism grants, business missions, and cultural projects, serving as tools of Russian soft power. The organization openly presents itself as a counterweight to Western initiatives—USAID (USAID), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations. At the “Evrazia: A Territory of Traditional Values” conference held in Moscow in April 2026, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that over its two years of activity, the organization had mobilized 120,000 participants in forty countries. Evrazia opened an Armenian branch in June 2024. It supports eleven Russian-language centers operating in Yerevan and offers courses in robotics, animation, and financial literacy. The organization also launched a media school whose lecturers include figures linked to the Russian state propaganda machine. It also organizes cultural trips and, within these programs, sends young people to the “Artek” camp in Crimea. Initiatives include competitions on Russian history and performances about World War II, aligned with Kremlin narratives. In Moldova, security services viewed similar programs as part of Evrazia’s influence infrastructure, through which the organization built networks for voter mobilization, influence, and disinformation. Read more on civilnet.am/en
3
9
23
2,489
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
Ms. @SGelava, Associate Director for Research, @DFRLab at the #RigaStratComDialogue: "Naming and shaming‼️, analysis for #disinformation operations - this process is slow, but #exposing the malign actors is still very important".
4
1
11
883
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
APPLY for LMDP! @DDIAmericas and @DFRLab are now accepting applications for the LMDP 2026 Fall Cohort, an 8-week, no-cost, hybrid training program for Latino journalists, creators, & civil society. Join a cohort exploring AI, media, & democracy. More: ddia.org/en/LMDP-2026.2
2
3
658
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
Mr. @etbrooking, Director of Strategy and Resident Sr. Fellow, @AtlanticCouncil's @DFRLab: "#AI tools make campaigns so costless, even if not as effective, it changes calculation". #RigaStratComDialogue
2
6
1,487
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
⚠️El Gobierno de Venezuela ha tenido hackers a su disposición para violar derechos humanos ⚠️ Si quieres saber un poco más mira este video y revisa el informe "Los vigilantes en la mira", de @conexionsegura y @DFRLab vesinfiltro.org/noticias/vig… ⬆️
25
24
1,548
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
🔵 Entregamos el informe "Los Vigilantes en la Mira" ante la representación en Venezuela de la Oficina del Alto Comisionado de Derechos Humanos de la ONU, en Caracas. En esta investigación, elaborada en conjunto con @dfrlab, se revela un análisis detallado de las tecnologías de vigilancia que han sido usadas durante el Gobierno de Nicolás Maduro y que continúan aún hoy bajo la administración de Delcy Rodriguez: monitoreo en video, interceptación de telecomunicaciones, ciberpatrullaje y ciberataques. Buscamos que estos hallazgos técnicos sirvan de sustento para los informes especiales sobre #DerechosHumanos que se desprenden de esta oficina, considerando los riesgos y el impacto que las prácticas documentadas generan sobre el derecho a la privacidad, a la libertad de expresión, a la libertad de asociación y a la participación política. Te invitamos a leer la investigación completa, entender cómo operan estos mecanismos y ayudarnos a difundir la verdad sobre la censura y vigilancia en 🇻🇪. Descarga el informe aquí: ⬇️ 🔗 vesinfiltro.org/noticias/vig…
12
16
2,265
Kicking off LMDP 2026! DDIA welcomed to DC this week the Spring cohort of journalists, content creators, and civil society leaders committed to strengthening a healthier information ecosystem for Latino communities. Follow along as we dive into the program over the next 8 weeks!
2
3
574
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
A 100 días de la captura de Nicolás Maduro, "el extenso aparato de vigilancia tecnológica continúa operando". En esta nota de @boonbar se ofrecen detalles del estudio 'Los vigilantes en la mira', hecho en conjunto con @DFRLab del @AtlanticCouncil. Lee más ⬇️
A 100 días de la caída de Nicolás Maduro, los venezolanos siguen esperando la transición a la democracia. Miran con escepticismo algunos gestos de apertura del gobierno interino tutelado por EE UU, a la vez que siguen sorteando las restricciones a los derechos informativos y digitales. es.wired.com/articulos/venez…
27
1
31
2,165
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
LIVE NOW | Paul Garnett, Carlos Rey-Moreno, and Alessandra Lustrati join Jochai Ben-Avie to discuss how democratic countries can leverage their strengths to scale digital connectivity. xitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1dxYljXmz…
2
6
1,743
DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social retweeted
If you’re working in journalism, research, or civil society and trying to make sense of what’s happening online...Digital Sherlocks is for you. Applications for our 2026 cohort close soon. Apply now: bit.ly/47JLw02
7
21
3,156