Data and OSINT and Social Media Research and Cats and Memes, sometimes all at once. Currently at @SecureDemocracy. Views my own, he/him, but not picky
Washington, DC
Joined March 2012
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Two of my great nerd loves are etymology and internet culture. So, I can't decide if it's with pleasure or pain that I get to present my latest research, naming and examining the process by which words escape the swamps of 4chan and eventually join our lexicon.
These words don't just appear out of nowhere—they start in places like 4chan's /pol/, are laundered to disguise their conspiratorial and hateful origins, and, when deniable enough, crossover into your feed with 4chan's misogynistic and antisemitic ideology intact.
Since #TheOdyssey is in, I've included a helpful infographic or two above with the article itself below. Content warning, of course. This is 4chan we're talking about.
isdglobal.org/digital-dispat…
Peter Benzoni retweeted
I am doing a study of political shitposting (low-quality posts that contribute nothing or that try to derail conversations) & trolling (posting to upset people)
I'm looking for people to interview!
If you do this & have ~20 min, reach out & I'll send more deets! [email protected]
Peter Benzoni retweeted
Across pro-Iran channels and sympathetic creators from Bengaluru to Brooklyn, AI-generated content follows the same logic, writes Peter Benzoni. foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/18…
1/ New piece out in @ForeignPolicy: Iran Is Winning the Vibe War.
Iran built the most effective propaganda operation of 2026 using LEGO cartoons, embassy shitposts, and AI slop. My field has no idea how to deal with it. Here's why 🧵
foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/18…
9/ The threat has migrated to overt, memeable propaganda that doesn't hide its origins, doesn't make false claims, and doesn't need fake accounts. We don't even have the instruments to measure it.
You can't fact-check a vibe. Time to stop trying. 👇 foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/18…