Michael Loadenthal
@mloadenthal.bsky.social
Professor, researcher, consultant, trainer.
Political violence, social movements, OSINT, (cyber)security, tech & law.
Director @ prosecutionproject.bsky.social & peacejusticestudies.org
Ⓐ/Ⓥdad x 4+🐶🐶
https://michaelloadenthal.academia.edu
Political violence, social movements, OSINT, (cyber)security, tech & law.
Director @ prosecutionproject.bsky.social & peacejusticestudies.org
Ⓐ/Ⓥdad x 4+🐶🐶
https://michaelloadenthal.academia.edu
Got time? Give this a read:
'45 current and former [FBI] employees on the changes they say are undermining the agency...We interviewed 45 employees...our sources narrated the events that most troubled them over the last year.'
'45 current and former [FBI] employees on the changes they say are undermining the agency...We interviewed 45 employees...our sources narrated the events that most troubled them over the last year.'
Inside Kash Patel’s F.B.I.: Meltdowns, Chaos, Vendettas (Gift Article)
Forty-five current and former employees on the changes they say are undermining the agency and making America less safe.
www.nytimes.com
January 27, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Got time? Give this a read:
'45 current and former [FBI] employees on the changes they say are undermining the agency...We interviewed 45 employees...our sources narrated the events that most troubled them over the last year.'
'45 current and former [FBI] employees on the changes they say are undermining the agency...We interviewed 45 employees...our sources narrated the events that most troubled them over the last year.'
Doxxing Defense Checklist | Digital Security Checklists for Activists
Doxxing...
activistchecklist.org
January 26, 2026 at 6:00 PM
This is why i take ample time working with folks to understand the difference between Google, MS, Dropbox, etc. & Zero Knowledge solution that make this impossible.
Tip: if the provider can let you back in after you forgot a password, they can do the same thing for any entity with a lawful order.
Tip: if the provider can let you back in after you forgot a password, they can do the same thing for any entity with a lawful order.
Microsoft Gave FBI BitLocker Encryption Keys, Exposing Privacy Flaw
The tech giant said providing encryption keys was a standard response to a court order. But companies like Apple and Meta set up their systems so such a privacy violation isn’t possible.
www.forbes.com
January 25, 2026 at 1:52 PM
This is why i take ample time working with folks to understand the difference between Google, MS, Dropbox, etc. & Zero Knowledge solution that make this impossible.
Tip: if the provider can let you back in after you forgot a password, they can do the same thing for any entity with a lawful order.
Tip: if the provider can let you back in after you forgot a password, they can do the same thing for any entity with a lawful order.
Reposted by Michael Loadenthal
Not exaggerating when I say that the collective action in Minnesota will be studied for generations if not centuries to come
January 23, 2026 at 12:03 AM
Not exaggerating when I say that the collective action in Minnesota will be studied for generations if not centuries to come
Reposted by Michael Loadenthal
NEW: The neo-fascist group Patriot Front is building a network of business in North Texas in an attempt to create a parallel, self-sufficient white nationalist economy. @stevanzetti.bsky.social, @wileydcope.bsky.social and I identified the men behind 4 of these companies.
Revealed: Four Businesses with Ties to Patriot Front Operating in North Texas
The neo-Nazi group is engaged in a strategy to establish an independent economic ecosystem. Through publicly available information, interviews, and in-person observation, the Observer has identified c...
www.texasobserver.org
January 15, 2026 at 1:47 PM
NEW: The neo-fascist group Patriot Front is building a network of business in North Texas in an attempt to create a parallel, self-sufficient white nationalist economy. @stevanzetti.bsky.social, @wileydcope.bsky.social and I identified the men behind 4 of these companies.
Reposted by Michael Loadenthal
THREAD 🧵
Seen in MINNEAPOLIS: faces of right-wing media / hostile press / profiteering grifters this week. Do not take the bait, do not engage. #hostilemedia #hostilemediaMNPLS
Link to hostile press lookbook:
bsky.app/profile/cass...
Do not reply to our posts with violence or you will be blocked.
Seen in MINNEAPOLIS: faces of right-wing media / hostile press / profiteering grifters this week. Do not take the bait, do not engage. #hostilemedia #hostilemediaMNPLS
Link to hostile press lookbook:
bsky.app/profile/cass...
Do not reply to our posts with violence or you will be blocked.
January 15, 2026 at 9:16 PM
THREAD 🧵
Seen in MINNEAPOLIS: faces of right-wing media / hostile press / profiteering grifters this week. Do not take the bait, do not engage. #hostilemedia #hostilemediaMNPLS
Link to hostile press lookbook:
bsky.app/profile/cass...
Do not reply to our posts with violence or you will be blocked.
Seen in MINNEAPOLIS: faces of right-wing media / hostile press / profiteering grifters this week. Do not take the bait, do not engage. #hostilemedia #hostilemediaMNPLS
Link to hostile press lookbook:
bsky.app/profile/cass...
Do not reply to our posts with violence or you will be blocked.
Reposted by Michael Loadenthal
The Russian intelligence services intervene aggressively to attack a website that leaked the names of new ICE hires, proving that Kristi Noem was aggressively recruiting and deploying Jan 6 rioters, including the head of the Proud Boys, a violent white supremacist group.
Website that leaked info about ICE agents is down after ‘cyberattack,’ founder says
Founder of ICE List believes the ‘sophisticated’ cyberattack could have originated in Russia
www.independent.co.uk
January 15, 2026 at 1:45 AM
The Russian intelligence services intervene aggressively to attack a website that leaked the names of new ICE hires, proving that Kristi Noem was aggressively recruiting and deploying Jan 6 rioters, including the head of the Proud Boys, a violent white supremacist group.
In my line of work I’m constantly asked for product recommendations, often VPNs. While LastPass has a great product and disclosed the breach when it happened, the effects continue to reverberate.
This is a major mark on the con column when considering this product.
This is a major mark on the con column when considering this product.
Cryptocurrency theft attacks traced to 2022 LastPass breach
Blockchain investigation firm TRM Labs says ongoing cryptocurrency thefts have been traced to the 2022 LastPass breach, with attackers draining wallets years after encrypted vaults were stolen and lau...
www.bleepingcomputer.com
January 4, 2026 at 4:39 AM
In my line of work I’m constantly asked for product recommendations, often VPNs. While LastPass has a great product and disclosed the breach when it happened, the effects continue to reverberate.
This is a major mark on the con column when considering this product.
This is a major mark on the con column when considering this product.
“An investigative journalist has infiltrated the white supremacist dating website WhiteDate & exfiltrated over 8,000 profiles & 100GB of data…
An “old-school anarchist researcher,” who goes by the online pseudonym Martha Root, claims to have breached a racist dating site & two similar platforms.”
An “old-school anarchist researcher,” who goes by the online pseudonym Martha Root, claims to have breached a racist dating site & two similar platforms.”
Investigator breaches white supremacist dating sites, exposes 8,000 users
An investigative journalist infiltrated three white supremacist platforms, including the dating site WhiteDate, exfiltrating over 8,000 user profiles and 100GB of sensitive data.
cybernews.com
January 4, 2026 at 3:54 AM
“An investigative journalist has infiltrated the white supremacist dating website WhiteDate & exfiltrated over 8,000 profiles & 100GB of data…
An “old-school anarchist researcher,” who goes by the online pseudonym Martha Root, claims to have breached a racist dating site & two similar platforms.”
An “old-school anarchist researcher,” who goes by the online pseudonym Martha Root, claims to have breached a racist dating site & two similar platforms.”
“RTTs differ depending on the device state. Active phones respond in under a second, while idle ones take longer. With high-frequency probing…they were able to map user routines, detect when phones switch networks, and identify when desktop clients come online, without alerting the victim.”
Tool allows stealthy tracking of Signal and WhatsApp users through delivery receipts
A new tool named Device Activity Tracker exposes a privacy flaw in WhatsApp and Signal that lets attackers covertly monitor user activity.
cyberinsider.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:13 PM
“RTTs differ depending on the device state. Active phones respond in under a second, while idle ones take longer. With high-frequency probing…they were able to map user routines, detect when phones switch networks, and identify when desktop clients come online, without alerting the victim.”
After a long road, our analysis of Jan6ers' social media is released!
Check out "Look Mom I’m On TV: Crowd-Sourced Policing, Social Media, and the Prosecution of January 6 Capitol Defendants", the product of @prosecutionproject.bsky.social research team!
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/TMTFB...
Check out "Look Mom I’m On TV: Crowd-Sourced Policing, Social Media, and the Prosecution of January 6 Capitol Defendants", the product of @prosecutionproject.bsky.social research team!
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/TMTFB...
Look Mom I’m On TV: Crowd-Sourced Policing, Social Media, and the Prosecution of January 6 Capitol Defendants
The investigation and prosecution of individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, riot at the United States Capitol offers notable insights into the role social media plays in political violence an...
www.tandfonline.com
December 15, 2025 at 2:30 PM
After a long road, our analysis of Jan6ers' social media is released!
Check out "Look Mom I’m On TV: Crowd-Sourced Policing, Social Media, and the Prosecution of January 6 Capitol Defendants", the product of @prosecutionproject.bsky.social research team!
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/TMTFB...
Check out "Look Mom I’m On TV: Crowd-Sourced Policing, Social Media, and the Prosecution of January 6 Capitol Defendants", the product of @prosecutionproject.bsky.social research team!
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/TMTFB...
New terrorism designations just dropped. This time, New Zealand designates Order of Nine Angles
and The Terrorgram Collective.
Complete list is here: www.police.govt.nz/advice/perso...
and The Terrorgram Collective.
Complete list is here: www.police.govt.nz/advice/perso...
gazette.govt.nz
December 10, 2025 at 1:04 PM
New terrorism designations just dropped. This time, New Zealand designates Order of Nine Angles
and The Terrorgram Collective.
Complete list is here: www.police.govt.nz/advice/perso...
and The Terrorgram Collective.
Complete list is here: www.police.govt.nz/advice/perso...
Senators propose legislation to explicitly criminalize 765/COM/NVE-related extremism.
While I, like any rational human, want these revolting crimes to stop, laws like this are likely to expand their purview and be abused--just like other laws, when they were used to target older movements.
While I, like any rational human, want these revolting crimes to stop, laws like this are likely to expand their purview and be abused--just like other laws, when they were used to target older movements.
As online extremists push teens to self-harm, 2 senators join to propose new law making it a crime
Sens. Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin want a new law to criminalize the actions of online networks like 764 that coerce minors to physically harm themselves or others.
abcnews.go.com
December 9, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Senators propose legislation to explicitly criminalize 765/COM/NVE-related extremism.
While I, like any rational human, want these revolting crimes to stop, laws like this are likely to expand their purview and be abused--just like other laws, when they were used to target older movements.
While I, like any rational human, want these revolting crimes to stop, laws like this are likely to expand their purview and be abused--just like other laws, when they were used to target older movements.
Reposted by Michael Loadenthal
🧵 Blood Tribe unmasked here.
Notable Chris Poulhaus and Drake Betentz marched masked for a while and unmasked later.
New face here. Will drop a bunch of images and articles in this thread for researchers.
Notable Chris Poulhaus and Drake Betentz marched masked for a while and unmasked later.
New face here. Will drop a bunch of images and articles in this thread for researchers.
December 7, 2025 at 9:35 PM
🧵 Blood Tribe unmasked here.
Notable Chris Poulhaus and Drake Betentz marched masked for a while and unmasked later.
New face here. Will drop a bunch of images and articles in this thread for researchers.
Notable Chris Poulhaus and Drake Betentz marched masked for a while and unmasked later.
New face here. Will drop a bunch of images and articles in this thread for researchers.
As someone who wrote their first book on FAI-IRF…and as a general fan of logic and reason, i concur. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Anti-fascist groups named as US terror threats ‘barely exist’, experts say
Designation of groups from Italy, Germany and Greece labelled ‘ridiculous’ as experts say no active threat posed
www.theguardian.com
December 5, 2025 at 1:15 PM
As someone who wrote their first book on FAI-IRF…and as a general fan of logic and reason, i concur. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
🫣🍿
BREAKING: The FBI makes an arrest in the investigation into pipe bombs placed in D.C. on the eve of the Jan. 6 riot, an AP source says.
FBI makes arrest in investigation into pipe bombs placed in DC on eve of Jan. 6 riot, AP source says
The FBI has made an arrest in its nearly 5-year-old investigation into who placed pipe bombs in Washington before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
bit.ly
December 4, 2025 at 1:36 PM
🫣🍿
“…The result is a persistent gap in the perception of the threat between security practitioners and many academics…only a minority of academics see research as under threat.”
The Government Needs to Send a Wake-Up Call on Research Security
Without fundamental cultural change among academics, research security will become a box-ticking exercise for universities
www.rusi.org
December 3, 2025 at 5:42 PM
“…The result is a persistent gap in the perception of the threat between security practitioners and many academics…only a minority of academics see research as under threat.”
CISA warns threat actors targeting Signal users via “sophisticated targeting & social engineering techniques to deliver spyware & gain unauthorized access to a victim’s messaging app, facilitating the deployment of additional malicious payloads…further compromise the victim’s mobile device.”
Spyware Allows Cyber Threat Actors to Target Users of Messaging Applications | CISA
www.cisa.gov
December 3, 2025 at 5:32 PM
CISA warns threat actors targeting Signal users via “sophisticated targeting & social engineering techniques to deliver spyware & gain unauthorized access to a victim’s messaging app, facilitating the deployment of additional malicious payloads…further compromise the victim’s mobile device.”
Reposted by Michael Loadenthal
I'm starting a new research project looking at the experiences of American fighters in the War in Ukraine. If you are an American veteran of the War in Ukraine I'd love to talk to you. my DMs are open.
December 1, 2025 at 5:42 PM
I'm starting a new research project looking at the experiences of American fighters in the War in Ukraine. If you are an American veteran of the War in Ukraine I'd love to talk to you. my DMs are open.