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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst
@checkfirst.network
1.6K followers 230 following 260 posts
We pioneered algorithm analysis and deploy expert skills to probe the digital space and its actors. https://checkfirst.network
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Jul 18
Today, we are proud to publish our latest investigation into the FSB’s 16th Center, publicly accused of operating some of Russia's most sophisticated cyber-espionage groups.
🔗 checkfirst.network/decoding-se...
Cover of our research "Decoding Secrets With Medals: How Military Insignia Revealed Russia’s Hidden SIGINT Network"
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · 1d
Don't miss our news and updates by subscribing to our monthly newsletter "Indeed!" 🔗 checkfirst.network/newsletter/
Indeed! The official Check First newsletter - CheckFirst
Subscribe to our newsletter and get a monthly recap of the latest news from CheckFirst straight in your inbox
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CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · 1d
Next week, we'll be heading to Ljubljana to attend @disinfo.eu's #Disinfo2025!

Shivika Sharma, our senior manager specialising in digital threats and policy, will present @radar.checkfirst.network during the “Turning data into evidence” roundtable on 16 October.
Shivika Sharma, Senior Manager, Digital Threats and Policy at Check First. She'll be speaking at #Disinfo2025 during a panel on 16 October.
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pravdapl.bsky.social
Pravda Association @pravdapl.bsky.social · 7d
🚨 How do platforms combat disinformation? For the first time, we have data that provides a concrete answer to this question. Along with @checkfirst.network, @newtral.es, Slovak Governance Institute oraz Foundation for the Open University of Catalonia Pravda participates in the #SIMODS project.
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sciencefeedback.bsky.social
Science Feedback @sciencefeedback.bsky.social · 9d
🚨 New report out: the first cross-platform, cross-country baseline on misinformation in Europe

Based on large scale data analysis: ~2.6M posts (24B views) collected on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X & YouTube

science.feedback.org/first-measurement-disinformation-major-platforms-europe
What our first measurement says about disinformation on major platforms in Europe - Science Feedback
Science Feedback and partners have released a first measurement of Structural Indicators across six Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) in four EU member states (France, Spain, Poland, Slovakia). Belo...
science.feedback.org
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · 21d
It’s today!
disinfo.eu
EU DisinfoLab @disinfo.eu · 27d
📢 On 18 Sept, we explore how AI-driven Russian propaganda campaigns target media.

📚Insights on tactics to target fact-checkers, media, and global audiences.
🎙Featuring @allxbo.bsky.social from @reset.tech and @g.checkfirst.network from @checkfirst.network

🔗Register: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
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disinfo.eu
EU DisinfoLab @disinfo.eu · 27d
📢 On 18 Sept, we explore how AI-driven Russian propaganda campaigns target media.

📚Insights on tactics to target fact-checkers, media, and global audiences.
🎙Featuring @allxbo.bsky.social from @reset.tech and @g.checkfirst.network from @checkfirst.network

🔗Register: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Sep 5
❗Please note that all future updates on RADAR will be made on RADAR’s official website (radar.checkfirst.network), Bluesky account (@radar.checkfirst.network) and LinkedIn page (www.linkedin.com/showcase/ra...).
RADAR | LinkedIn
RADAR | 2 followers on LinkedIn. RADAR: Structured DSA framework categorizing violations with observable indicators for systematic risk assessment | RADAR is a structured framework created by CheckFirst that breaks down Digital Services Act into categories, infringements, and observable indicators. It helps stakeholders systematically identify, assess, and address potential DSA infringements.
www.linkedin.com
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Sep 5
⚒️ This summer, we also worked on easy-to-use tools to help you implement our tagging system in your reports: a Google Docs addon, a Wordpress plugin and a #ChatGPT assistant. All of these tools are powered by RADAR’s new API.
🔗 radar.checkfirst.network/tools
RADAR Tools & Integrations - API, WordPress, Google Docs & AI
Access RADAR framework through REST API, WordPress plugin, Google Docs add-on, and AI assistant. Official and community tools for Digital Services Act compliance assessment.
radar.checkfirst.network
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Sep 5
🔵 We're excited to announce the launch of the 1.8 version of
@radar.checkfirst.network! This practical, open framework is designed to help stakeholders simplify and standardise the #DigitalServicesAct.

🔗 checkfirst.network/radar-1-8-i...
RADAR 1.8: Identify, assess and address potential DSA infringements - CheckFirst
CheckFirst is excited to announce the release of the latest version of RADAR (Regulatory Assessment for Digital Services Act), a practical framework designed to help stakeholders simplify and standardise the Digital Services Act (DSA). 
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politico.eu
POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · Jul 22
Russian-sponsored propaganda engines went into overdrive in the weeks leading up to the European Parliament’s no-confidence vote against Ursula von der Leyen, a confidential study seen by POLITICO shows.
How von der Leyen’s no-confidence vote fueled Russian propaganda
A confidential study found that a known Russian disinformation network had ramped up its posts by 60 percent while pushing the narrative that the European Commission president was “toxic.&#82…
www.politico.eu
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Jul 18
If you have any questions about this report, please write to us at info[a]checkfirst[dot]network. Thanks for reading!
While much remains to be explored regarding 16th Center's precise operations, this study paves the way for further research on Russia's security agencies operating in Russia and abroad, including those engaged in intelligence-gathering in Ukraine and European countries. Want to know more about this story? Contact us: info@checkfirst.network
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Jul 18
Each interception centre also has a unique way of depicting itself through its insignia, as can be seen in these two examples from our report.
Unit 03110 (1975): The oldest insignia linked to this unit features symbols such as tropical palms and a flag that confirm that it was previously stationed in Lourdes (Cuba), before being relocated close to Sotchi (Russia) in the late 2000s. Among the ten bases we have identified, this one is the only one that equipped its antennas with radomes designed to protect the equipment from weather and hide its orientation and specifications from unwanted eyes. These domes, which may contain a radar or a dish antenna, are even depicted on one of the unit's insignia, which also portrays the facility facing the sea, with mountains in the background. Unit 61608 (1918): The unit's insignia frequently feature symbolic representations of Moscow, including the Kremlin. The unit hosts more than a dozen parabolic antennas near the T-shaped control building, as well as pole antennas arranged in an antenna array slightly further north. It is situated south of Tsaritsyno Park, concealed within a dense forest in the heart of Moscow.
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Jul 18
Thanks to phaleristics, we were able to gain insight into the unit's current
symbolism.
How the 16th Center depicts itself: The standard format of the shield and sword, symbols inherited from the KGB ; The Russian coat of arms (a double-headed eagle clutching a scepter and an orb surmounted by a cross, representing imperial authority and the Orthodox Church, respectively) ; A red background, a colour traditionally associated with the FSB. The Center portrays itself in two distinct ways: A terrestrial globe featuring the Russian Cyrillic letter "i". This letter is commonly associated with the Russian word "information" in Soviet and Russian security services, and could be a reference to the information the unit is capable of acquiring ; An antenna positioned next to a key being shattered by a lightning bolt. The antenna is a fairly common symbol of radio transmissions, but is also used to represent signals intelligence (SIGINT). The lightning bolt symbolizes the interception, disruption, and manipulation of enemy communications and radar systems. The key shattered by the lightning bolt is highly likely an explicit reference to cryptanalysis, the branch of cryptography dedicated to breaking codes and cryptographic systems.
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Jul 18
To unveil the infrastructure of the 16th Center, we employed a combination of unusual and traditional OSINT techniques. Our primary sources were hundreds of photographs of Russian insignia available on specialised websites.
For over a year, we have collected and analyzed hundreds of photographs of military insignia linked to the 16th Center of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB). We combined phaleristics (i.e. the study of medals, orders, decorations, and related honors issued by states, organizations, and military bodies) and traditional OSINT techniques to get insights into the history of the 16th Center, piece together part of its internal structure, and geolocate several of its interception centers within Russia. During our research, we identified: 40 distinct insignia corresponding to different departments ("upravleniya") within the 16th Center. 10 departments within the 16th Center with at least 560 employees. 10 SIGINT stations composing a ground-based network highly likely operated by the 16th Center. These "Special Communications Centers" (TsSS) are designated either by a five-digit identifier or a number.
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Jul 18
Today, we are proud to publish our latest investigation into the FSB’s 16th Center, publicly accused of operating some of Russia's most sophisticated cyber-espionage groups.
🔗 checkfirst.network/decoding-se...
Cover of our research "Decoding Secrets With Medals: How Military Insignia Revealed Russia’s Hidden SIGINT Network"
1 11 16
Reposted by CheckFirst
sciencefeedback.bsky.social
Science Feedback @sciencefeedback.bsky.social · Jul 17
This week at @cgf-uk.bsky.social at European Media&Information Fund Annual Conference, our founder Emmanuel Vincent presented in a panel on what data researchers need to effectively implement European Code of Conduct on Disinformation&advance transparency obligations under the #DigitalServicesAct.
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Reposted by CheckFirst
aiforensics.org
AI Forensics @aiforensics.org · Jul 15
📢 In a joint civil society effort, we filed a formal DSA complaint against 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) for violating Article 26(3) — which bans targeting ads based on sensitive data like sexuality, politics, religion, health.

📄 Read the joint statement: aiforensics.org/uploads/Join...
aiforensics.org
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vchatelet.bsky.social
Valentin Châtelet @vchatelet.bsky.social · Jun 30
In this week's episode of the Active Measure Newsletter's podcast I was invited to discuss the content of our joint investigation with @dfrlab.bsky.social and @checkfirst.network on the Pravda Network and the consequences of the poisoning of LLMs & the targeting of Wikipedia
omny.fm/shows/active...
The Pravda Network with Valentin Chatelet - The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast
This week, Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson welcome Valentin Chatelet, a research associate at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, for an urgent discussion of the Pravda Network--a Russia...
omny.fm
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kevinlimonier.bsky.social
Kevin Limonier @kevinlimonier.bsky.social · Jun 27
1/ Plus que jamais, les actions « hybrides » conduites par la Russie sur le continent européen font la une de l’actualité. Nous avons décidé de construire une cartographie interactive pour mieux représenter et cerner le phénomène ⬇️
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disinfo.eu
EU DisinfoLab @disinfo.eu · Jun 25
🚨 #HEAT shows climate disinfo is systemic – but EU regulation hasn’t caught up.

Platforms still face no legal obligation under the #DSA to address it.

👉 It’s time to treat #ClimateDisinfo as a real threat to democracy.

📘 Read the report 👇
www.disinfo.eu/heat-harmful...

#EMIFund
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noneprivacy.osint.team
Francesco Poldi @noneprivacy.osint.team · Jun 26
📊 Operation Overload on Telegram:
• 673 channels analysed
• 7M+ messages
• 2M+ media collisions (39% of 5.5M total)
• 550+ channels share admins
• 70% of Overload-linked emails point to Telegram
• 10 verified channels drive core narratives
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Jun 26
Read the full report and our recommendations here: checkfirst.network/operation-o...
Operation Overload: An AI fuelled escalation of the Kremlin-linked propaganda effort - CheckFirst
The Russian propaganda operation targeted at media organisations and fact-checkers is still going strong. Operation Overload, which we first documented in June 2024 is now leveraging AI generated content, impersonation techniques and is expanding to more platforms such as TikTok and BlueSky. Telegram and direct emails to newsrooms remain a daily dissemination technique used to attempt to create a sense of urgency amongst their targets. Since we last published an update about the operation last September, some legitimate outlets regularly fall in the trap.
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CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Jun 26
Over 180 individuals and organisations have been impersonated using AI-generated content in an attempt to cause confusion, manipulate debate, and overload fact-checkers. Despite that, platforms’ responses remain worryingly uneven.
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Jun 26
Since September 2024, we have recorded over 700 targeted emails and nearly 600 unique pieces of falsified content disseminated across platforms including Telegram, X, BlueSky, and most recently TikTok.
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checkfirst.network
CheckFirst @checkfirst.network · Jun 26
This Russian propaganda campaign, which targets fact-checkers, is now leveraging AI generated content and impersonation techniques, and is expanding to more platforms such as TikTok and BlueSky.
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