Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Jack Sapoch

Dhruv Mehrotra @dmehro.bsky.social · 10h

Come for the incredible reporting, stay for the “I think I felt like shitting my pants or something”: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfWy...

This Secret Tech Tracked World Leaders, a Vatican Enemy, and Maybe You

YouTube video by Mother Jones

www.youtube.com

3 18 36

Reposted by Jack Sapoch

Gabriel Geiger @gabrielgeiger.bsky.social · 12h

On a Saturday night I stumbled across something on the internet that made me feel like ****** my pants. A giant dataset of real surveillance operations targeting 1000s of people across nearly every country. Unraveling it and the mysterious company behind it has consumed 1.5 years of my life

5 81 210

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 3d

Totally, the similarities there is something we discussed early on while looking into this topic. Super interesting to consider. Although in that case the illustration was from the Times of London, iirc

1 1

Reposted by Jack Sapoch

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 6d

Have you seen 3D animations from the IDF showing secret Hamas hideouts?

According to Israel's +972 magazine, many have "serious spatial inaccuracies or prefabricated assets—sourced not from classified intelligence but rather from commercial libraries, content creators, and cultural institutions."

How a Scottish maritime museum ended up in Israel’s 3D propaganda

An analysis of dozens of Israeli army animations discovered digital assets sourced not from classified intelligence but commercial libraries and content creators.

www.972mag.com

9 130 320

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

Definitely, this is something we also discussed parallels with early on

1 1

Reposted by Jack Sapoch

Ron Deibert @rondeibert.bsky.social · 6d

Last week we @citizenlab.ca published an investigation into a likely Israeli-directed AI influence op targeting Iranians citizenlab.ca/2025/10/ai-e...

This superb analysis by @jacksapoch.bsky.social & colleagues of 43 official IDF videos found recycled 3D animations and spatial inaccuracies 👇

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

NEW: Since October 2023, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit has released dozens of 3D animations illustrating alleged Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian sites

The style is now unmistakable: satellite zoom-ins, black & white wireframes, and red-textured houses - a new visual language of war

12 18

Reposted by Jack Sapoch

Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 6d

Disinformation, now in 3D.

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

NEW: Since October 2023, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit has released dozens of 3D animations illustrating alleged Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian sites

The style is now unmistakable: satellite zoom-ins, black & white wireframes, and red-textured houses - a new visual language of war

5 120 310

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

Thank you, Eliot!

1 19

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

Thanks for the kind words Thomas 🌱

1

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

Thanks dear Eman!

4

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

As someone who works with satellite and 3D imagery, this project reinforced how crucial it is to question what’s rendered as truth.

Keep an eye out for some follow ups in different mediums looking ahead

Full story w/ @972mag.com via Oren Ziv:

www.972mag.com/israeli-army...

How a Scottish maritime museum ended up in Israel’s 3D propaganda

An analysis of dozens of Israeli army animations discovered digital assets sourced not from classified intelligence but commercial libraries and content creators.

www.972mag.com

11 120 360

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

Over the months, we gathered material and analysis before working with colleagues @srfnews.bsky.social, @972mag.com, and @theferret.scot to bring the investigation together for their respective audiences.

SRF International podcast (via Susanne Brunner) www.srf.ch/audio/intern...

Realistische Fantasy: Die 3D-Erklärvideos der Israelischen Armee

Die israelische Armee erklärt Angriffe auf Ziele in Gaza und Libanon in Videos mit 3D-Grafiken. Der angebliche Beweis für Terror-Zentralen in Spitälern und Häusern ist jedoch irreführend.

www.srf.ch

2 33 290

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

I started working on this research in my spare time with a small group of fellow journos/artists — Nicole Vögele, @jakecharlesrees.bsky.social , & Robin Kötzle — after noticing recurring patterns in IDF 3D videos last year

The Ferret (via @billybriggs24.bsky.social): theferret.scot/idf-scottish...

1 46 330

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

The TikTok outlines that a specific goal of these animations is to multiply their reach by cultivating secondary coverage

And indeed, dozens of major outlets like BBC, CNN and Sky News have aired them, in part or in full, often without context

4 110 450

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

These videos are produced in-house by a small animation cell in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, working mainly in After Effects + Blender

In a TikTok posted after Israel's June attacks on Iran, soldiers describe working weeks under “prime-minister-level secrecy” to prepare visuals

4 59 340

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

One of the earlier and most-viewed examples was an animation of Al Shifa Hospital, published in October 2023.

The “underground command room” was recycled from a 2022 IDF animation of an UNRWA school in Tel Al-Hawa; the street above was built from prefab @kb-3d.bsky.social storefronts

2 100 440

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

These assets have been used in IDF videos as recently as September 5, in an animation of the Mushtaha Tower in Gaza City, which was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes the same day

In this video the ground itself is a patch-work quilt of third-party scans of pavement & parking lots

2 60 360

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

Others assets came from scans made by the Scottish Maritime Museum of their boat-building workshop which was downloaded (via @sketchfab.bsky.social) and reimagined by the IDF adornments for underground missile factories.

1 84 500

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

Hubert's assets, created as decorations for cyberpunk cityscapes, are used especially widely in animations that the IDF released during their strikes on Iran in June.

Ripped assets from Hubert are shown here in stills from IDF animations, with blue highlights:

1 92 500

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

We traced over 30 unique assets to Washington-based 3D creator Ian Hubert, who makes bespoke models created for his sci-fi project Dynamo Dream, available to his Patreon subscribers.

Scans of parking lots, antennas, and pipes were repurposed as Hamas and Iranian military sites

5 180 690

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

Many of these “illustrations” aren’t based on verified intelligence at all.

Our analysis of 43 official IDF videos found recycled 3D environments, spatial inaccuracies, and assets lifted from unrelated artists and institutions.

3 250 830

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · 6d

NEW: Since October 2023, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit has released dozens of 3D animations illustrating alleged Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian sites

The style is now unmistakable: satellite zoom-ins, black & white wireframes, and red-textured houses - a new visual language of war

27 830 1.8K

Reposted by Jack Sapoch

Jake Godin @godin.bsky.social · Sep 3

Appears the same National Guard UH-72 Lakota 11-72212 that dusted protesters in downtown D.C. in 2020 (noted by @giancarlofiorella.bsky.social) is back in D.C.'s skies again. Not clear for what purpose, though did a similar route on Sept. 1.

FlightRadar24 link: www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraf...

Screenshot from Twitter/X showing a tweet from @thenewarea51 with a video of a National Guard UH-72 Lakota helicopter flying low near protestors in DC. The tweet reads:

UH-72 Lakota - GUARD COPTER 72212 dusting people over Washington DC. While this helicopter has 2 engines, it might not have enough power to safely fly away if an engine fails.

The tweet is from June 1, 2020.

A screenshot from FlightRadar24 showing the UH-72 Lakota 11-72212 helicopter's route over Washington D.C. on September 3, 2025.

7 19

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · Jul 24

What’s the target, brother?

1 4

Jack Sapoch @jacksapoch.bsky.social · Jul 11

An impressive case study in the use of photogrammetry and satellite imagery to shed light on the logistics and procedures behind large scale atrocities (in this case in Assad's Syria)

1 5 17