Indicator
@indicator.media
Indicator.media publishes original reporting, in-depth investigations, and practical tutorials on OSINT tools & techniques. We provide engaged citizens and professionals with the knowledge they need to fight digital deception.
Reposted by Indicator
A major perk for @indicator.media members is our monthly workshop. This Friday, @craigsilverman.bsky.social will walk folks through how to look for valuable documents hiding in open air, the topic of our latest guide. Upgrade to paid now to attend the workshop!
The Indicator Guide to hunting for documents and files in open buckets, servers, and directories
How to find interesting and potentially confidential documents sitting on a publicly-accessible server or website
indicator.media
November 24, 2025 at 12:47 PM
A major perk for @indicator.media members is our monthly workshop. This Friday, @craigsilverman.bsky.social will walk folks through how to look for valuable documents hiding in open air, the topic of our latest guide. Upgrade to paid now to attend the workshop!
Reposted by Indicator
Today on @indicator.media's (free) Briefing: A twinkle of optimism on the AI slop front as TikTok and Google roll out tools to filter and detect AI content.
I remain bearish about generative AI and info quality. But I’ll celebrate developments that increase user agency and platform transparency.
I remain bearish about generative AI and info quality. But I’ll celebrate developments that increase user agency and platform transparency.
Briefing: Good news on the AI slop front. No, really!
Plus: detecting AI-generated images with SynthID, and advanced archival OSINT
indicator.media
November 21, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Today on @indicator.media's (free) Briefing: A twinkle of optimism on the AI slop front as TikTok and Google roll out tools to filter and detect AI content.
I remain bearish about generative AI and info quality. But I’ll celebrate developments that increase user agency and platform transparency.
I remain bearish about generative AI and info quality. But I’ll celebrate developments that increase user agency and platform transparency.
Reposted by Indicator
TikTok & Instagram have been deluged by thousands of videos from female students that praise Jenni, an AI study app. They say it's better than ChatGPT. They say it can improve your grades.
What don't they say? That they were paid to promote Jenni.
What don't they say? That they were paid to promote Jenni.
Thousands of undisclosed ads flooded TikTok to sell AI study apps
Maryland-based Mindgrasp used an army of student creators (and actors) to promote its study tools, without disclosing that they were paid.
indicator.media
November 20, 2025 at 1:58 PM
TikTok & Instagram have been deluged by thousands of videos from female students that praise Jenni, an AI study app. They say it's better than ChatGPT. They say it can improve your grades.
What don't they say? That they were paid to promote Jenni.
What don't they say? That they were paid to promote Jenni.
Reposted by Indicator
Dishonest advertising meets AI grift in @craigsilverman.bsky.social's latest on @indicator.media:
Thousands of undisclosed ads flooded TikTok to sell AI study apps
Maryland-based Mindgrasp used an army of student creators (and actors) to promote its study tools, without disclosing that they were paid.
indicator.media
November 20, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Dishonest advertising meets AI grift in @craigsilverman.bsky.social's latest on @indicator.media:
Reposted by Indicator
Now that is an interesting finding.
The AI bots are getting their notes approved at double the rate of humans.
Should X go from 8 AI contributors to 80, this could dramatically upend the composition and purpose of the program.
Should X go from 8 AI contributors to 80, this could dramatically upend the composition and purpose of the program.
November 19, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Now that is an interesting finding.
Reposted by Indicator
(The bots are also leaning heavily on Wikipedia, fact-checkers and the media -- those very institutions Musk, Zuck, and co. think will be supplanted by Notes).
Read, like, subscribe for all the good stuff:
Read, like, subscribe for all the good stuff:
An AI bot is now the top contributor to Community Notes on X
But synthetic contributors aren’t replacing humans – yet
indicator.media
November 18, 2025 at 2:20 PM
(The bots are also leaning heavily on Wikipedia, fact-checkers and the media -- those very institutions Musk, Zuck, and co. think will be supplanted by Notes).
Read, like, subscribe for all the good stuff:
Read, like, subscribe for all the good stuff:
Reposted by Indicator
New on @indicator.media: The single most active contributor to Community Notes since Sep. 1 is Zesty Walnut Grackle.
Zesty is an AI bot, one of eight currently active on X after the platform onboarded them in a bid to boost flagging participation.
Zesty is an AI bot, one of eight currently active on X after the platform onboarded them in a bid to boost flagging participation.
An AI bot is now the top contributor to Community Notes on X
But synthetic contributors aren’t replacing humans – yet
indicator.media
November 18, 2025 at 2:18 PM
New on @indicator.media: The single most active contributor to Community Notes since Sep. 1 is Zesty Walnut Grackle.
Zesty is an AI bot, one of eight currently active on X after the platform onboarded them in a bid to boost flagging participation.
Zesty is an AI bot, one of eight currently active on X after the platform onboarded them in a bid to boost flagging participation.
Check out the preprint behind our blog from last Thursday:
back again to share a new preprint from me and @mantzarlis.com! “What did Elon Change? A comprehensive analysis of Grokipedia” arxiv.org/abs/2511.09685
I had seen many spot analyses of individual grokipedia pages, but I was curious: how was grokipedia made? what did Elon change from wikipedia?
I had seen many spot analyses of individual grokipedia pages, but I was curious: how was grokipedia made? what did Elon change from wikipedia?
November 17, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Check out the preprint behind our blog from last Thursday:
Reposted by Indicator
This newsletter pulls a few things together, including my Atlantic essay on working the referees, and @mantzarlis.com’s fantastic new analysis on what exactly is in Grokipedia.
November 16, 2025 at 7:33 PM
This newsletter pulls a few things together, including my Atlantic essay on working the referees, and @mantzarlis.com’s fantastic new analysis on what exactly is in Grokipedia.
Reposted by Indicator
Really crazy story from @mantzarlis.com for INDiCATOR about “Grokipedia” and the sources it’s citing. In addition to crazier stuff:
“Grokipedia largely emulates Wikipedia in over half of its entries, seemingly content to transcribe pages verbatim…”
indicator.media/p/grokipedia...
“Grokipedia largely emulates Wikipedia in over half of its entries, seemingly content to transcribe pages verbatim…”
indicator.media/p/grokipedia...
Grokipedia cites a Nazi forum and fringe conspiracy websites
A site-wide comparison with Wikipedia sheds light on what Elon Musk is trying to do
indicator.media
November 13, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Really crazy story from @mantzarlis.com for INDiCATOR about “Grokipedia” and the sources it’s citing. In addition to crazier stuff:
“Grokipedia largely emulates Wikipedia in over half of its entries, seemingly content to transcribe pages verbatim…”
indicator.media/p/grokipedia...
“Grokipedia largely emulates Wikipedia in over half of its entries, seemingly content to transcribe pages verbatim…”
indicator.media/p/grokipedia...
Reposted by Indicator
Good work here. Not unexpected, but very useful to have it clearly laid out.
NEW on @indicator.media: A first *full-scale* comparison of Grokipedia v Wikipedia.
Last week the awesome @harold.bsky.social rocked up to my desk bearing gifts.
Hal had collected almost all 900K Grokipedia entries and compared them to their Wikipedia equivalents for text and citation similarity.
Last week the awesome @harold.bsky.social rocked up to my desk bearing gifts.
Hal had collected almost all 900K Grokipedia entries and compared them to their Wikipedia equivalents for text and citation similarity.
Grokipedia cites a Nazi forum and fringe conspiracy websites
A site-wide comparison with Wikipedia sheds light on what Elon Musk is trying to do
indicator.media
November 13, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Good work here. Not unexpected, but very useful to have it clearly laid out.
Reposted by Indicator
So here's what we have: An AI-powered encyclopedia that heavily leans on a volunteer effort that Musk has repeatedly attacked, which selectively edits a subset of topics to recast based with an undisclosed set of instructions. For those pages, citations to conspiracy sites and hate groups go up.
Grokipedia cites a Nazi forum and fringe conspiracy websites
A site-wide comparison with Wikipedia sheds light on what Elon Musk is trying to do
indicator.media
November 13, 2025 at 2:01 PM
So here's what we have: An AI-powered encyclopedia that heavily leans on a volunteer effort that Musk has repeatedly attacked, which selectively edits a subset of topics to recast based with an undisclosed set of instructions. For those pages, citations to conspiracy sites and hate groups go up.
Reposted by Indicator
After a week of reviewing the site-wide data and many entries in detail, I think Grokipedia has made significant editorial decisions around sourcing and topic treatment that lend credence to @matteowong.bsky.social's argument in The Atlantic that it is “the next step in Musk’s propaganda machine.”
Grokipedia cites a Nazi forum and fringe conspiracy websites
A site-wide comparison with Wikipedia sheds light on what Elon Musk is trying to do
indicator.media
November 13, 2025 at 1:50 PM
After a week of reviewing the site-wide data and many entries in detail, I think Grokipedia has made significant editorial decisions around sourcing and topic treatment that lend credence to @matteowong.bsky.social's argument in The Atlantic that it is “the next step in Musk’s propaganda machine.”
Reposted by Indicator
NEW on @indicator.media: A first *full-scale* comparison of Grokipedia v Wikipedia.
Last week the awesome @harold.bsky.social rocked up to my desk bearing gifts.
Hal had collected almost all 900K Grokipedia entries and compared them to their Wikipedia equivalents for text and citation similarity.
Last week the awesome @harold.bsky.social rocked up to my desk bearing gifts.
Hal had collected almost all 900K Grokipedia entries and compared them to their Wikipedia equivalents for text and citation similarity.
Grokipedia cites a Nazi forum and fringe conspiracy websites
A site-wide comparison with Wikipedia sheds light on what Elon Musk is trying to do
indicator.media
November 13, 2025 at 1:12 PM
NEW on @indicator.media: A first *full-scale* comparison of Grokipedia v Wikipedia.
Last week the awesome @harold.bsky.social rocked up to my desk bearing gifts.
Hal had collected almost all 900K Grokipedia entries and compared them to their Wikipedia equivalents for text and citation similarity.
Last week the awesome @harold.bsky.social rocked up to my desk bearing gifts.
Hal had collected almost all 900K Grokipedia entries and compared them to their Wikipedia equivalents for text and citation similarity.
Reposted by Indicator
Sensitive, confidential & interesting docs are sitting out in the open on the internet. Do you know how to find them?
My new @indicator.media Guide dives into Google dorks & tools that can uncover publicly available docs on websites and in unsecured buckets:
indicator.media/p/guide-to-h... #osint
My new @indicator.media Guide dives into Google dorks & tools that can uncover publicly available docs on websites and in unsecured buckets:
indicator.media/p/guide-to-h... #osint
The Indicator Guide to hunting for documents and files in open buckets, servers, and directories
How to find interesting and potentially confidential documents sitting on a publicly-accessible server or website
indicator.media
November 12, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Sensitive, confidential & interesting docs are sitting out in the open on the internet. Do you know how to find them?
My new @indicator.media Guide dives into Google dorks & tools that can uncover publicly available docs on websites and in unsecured buckets:
indicator.media/p/guide-to-h... #osint
My new @indicator.media Guide dives into Google dorks & tools that can uncover publicly available docs on websites and in unsecured buckets:
indicator.media/p/guide-to-h... #osint
Reposted by Indicator
So fun to see @indicator.media’s audit of AI labels being cited in places as different as Private Eye and The Hindu
(The piece: indicator.media/p/tech-platf...)
(The piece: indicator.media/p/tech-platf...)
November 13, 2025 at 12:10 PM
So fun to see @indicator.media’s audit of AI labels being cited in places as different as Private Eye and The Hindu
(The piece: indicator.media/p/tech-platf...)
(The piece: indicator.media/p/tech-platf...)
"The question, however, is whether Grokipedia can succeed not as an alternative to Wikipedia but as a means to delegitimize it. 'Flooding the zone with sh*t' as a strategy doesn’t necessarily seek to replace institutions of collective knowledge generation; it seeks to deface them"
Briefing: Grokipedia applies a right-wing filter to Wikipedia
Plus: an easy way to search for objects within a video and a new web reconnaissance tool
indicator.media
November 3, 2025 at 1:12 PM
"The question, however, is whether Grokipedia can succeed not as an alternative to Wikipedia but as a means to delegitimize it. 'Flooding the zone with sh*t' as a strategy doesn’t necessarily seek to replace institutions of collective knowledge generation; it seeks to deface them"
Reposted by Indicator
Today on @indicator.media: I speak to the lawyer representing the New Jersey teen suing AI nudifier ClothOff.
We spoke about the broad coalition of lawyers fighting to shut down these tools of online abuse, the difficulty of getting their owners served, and the claims his client is pursuing.
We spoke about the broad coalition of lawyers fighting to shut down these tools of online abuse, the difficulty of getting their owners served, and the claims his client is pursuing.
Taking an AI nudifier to court: A conversation with the lawyer suing ClothOff
“They shouldn't be out there. They shouldn't be operating," said Shane Vogt, the lawyer for a teenage plaintiff
indicator.media
November 3, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Today on @indicator.media: I speak to the lawyer representing the New Jersey teen suing AI nudifier ClothOff.
We spoke about the broad coalition of lawyers fighting to shut down these tools of online abuse, the difficulty of getting their owners served, and the claims his client is pursuing.
We spoke about the broad coalition of lawyers fighting to shut down these tools of online abuse, the difficulty of getting their owners served, and the claims his client is pursuing.
Reposted by Indicator
Not all misinformation requires sophisticated tech or AI.
For @craigsilverman.bsky.social's @indicator.media, I deep-dived into these accounts generated millions of views—and potentially handsome profits—with a little clever editing and an understanding of how strong emotions drive clicks.
For @craigsilverman.bsky.social's @indicator.media, I deep-dived into these accounts generated millions of views—and potentially handsome profits—with a little clever editing and an understanding of how strong emotions drive clicks.
We published an investigation from @kcinbk.bsky.social
into YouTube vids that falsely claim to show police racially profiling and arresting a person that turns out to to be an FBI agent. They've earned over 300 million views.
In response, YouTube banned 13 channels: indicator.media/p/youtube-co...
into YouTube vids that falsely claim to show police racially profiling and arresting a person that turns out to to be an FBI agent. They've earned over 300 million views.
In response, YouTube banned 13 channels: indicator.media/p/youtube-co...
Rage-baiting YouTube videos falsely claim to expose police for arresting FBI agents
Indicator identified 55 false or misleading cop comeuppance that generated hundreds of millions of views. In response, YouTube removed 13 channels
indicator.media
October 27, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Not all misinformation requires sophisticated tech or AI.
For @craigsilverman.bsky.social's @indicator.media, I deep-dived into these accounts generated millions of views—and potentially handsome profits—with a little clever editing and an understanding of how strong emotions drive clicks.
For @craigsilverman.bsky.social's @indicator.media, I deep-dived into these accounts generated millions of views—and potentially handsome profits—with a little clever editing and an understanding of how strong emotions drive clicks.
Reposted by Indicator
🔎 Negli ultimi due anni le principali aziende tecnologiche hanno promesso di aiutare gli utenti a identificare i contenuti generati con intelligenza artificiale.
Un'indagine di @indicator.media ha dimostrato però che le cose non sono andate come annunciato
Un'indagine di @indicator.media ha dimostrato però che le cose non sono andate come annunciato
Le piattaforme tecnologiche non stanno mantenendo la promessa di etichettare i contenuti generati con l’IA | Facta
Una verifica condotta da Indicator su centinaia di immagini e video generati con IA rivela che le piattaforme spesso non etichettano questi contenuti
www.facta.news
October 28, 2025 at 10:07 AM
🔎 Negli ultimi due anni le principali aziende tecnologiche hanno promesso di aiutare gli utenti a identificare i contenuti generati con intelligenza artificiale.
Un'indagine di @indicator.media ha dimostrato però che le cose non sono andate come annunciato
Un'indagine di @indicator.media ha dimostrato però che le cose non sono andate come annunciato
Reposted by Indicator
What an incredible evening at the #CJFJTalks event The New Age of Digital Deception!
A huge thank you to @craigsilverman.bsky.social of @indicator.media and CTV News’ Carolyn Jarvis for their eye-opening insights on navigating our increasingly complex media landscape. /1
A huge thank you to @craigsilverman.bsky.social of @indicator.media and CTV News’ Carolyn Jarvis for their eye-opening insights on navigating our increasingly complex media landscape. /1
October 31, 2025 at 6:40 PM
What an incredible evening at the #CJFJTalks event The New Age of Digital Deception!
A huge thank you to @craigsilverman.bsky.social of @indicator.media and CTV News’ Carolyn Jarvis for their eye-opening insights on navigating our increasingly complex media landscape. /1
A huge thank you to @craigsilverman.bsky.social of @indicator.media and CTV News’ Carolyn Jarvis for their eye-opening insights on navigating our increasingly complex media landscape. /1
Reposted by Indicator
TONIGHT: Don’t miss our CJF J-Talk, in partnership with @mediasmarts.bsky.social , featuring @craigsilverman.bsky.social of @indicator.media and CTV National Anchor Carolyn Jarvis on misinformation, modern verification tools and Silverman’s vision for building resilient information ecosystems. /1
October 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM
TONIGHT: Don’t miss our CJF J-Talk, in partnership with @mediasmarts.bsky.social , featuring @craigsilverman.bsky.social of @indicator.media and CTV National Anchor Carolyn Jarvis on misinformation, modern verification tools and Silverman’s vision for building resilient information ecosystems. /1
Reposted by Indicator
We published an investigation from @kcinbk.bsky.social
into YouTube vids that falsely claim to show police racially profiling and arresting a person that turns out to to be an FBI agent. They've earned over 300 million views.
In response, YouTube banned 13 channels: indicator.media/p/youtube-co...
into YouTube vids that falsely claim to show police racially profiling and arresting a person that turns out to to be an FBI agent. They've earned over 300 million views.
In response, YouTube banned 13 channels: indicator.media/p/youtube-co...
Rage-baiting YouTube videos falsely claim to expose police for arresting FBI agents
Indicator identified 55 false or misleading cop comeuppance that generated hundreds of millions of views. In response, YouTube removed 13 channels
indicator.media
October 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
We published an investigation from @kcinbk.bsky.social
into YouTube vids that falsely claim to show police racially profiling and arresting a person that turns out to to be an FBI agent. They've earned over 300 million views.
In response, YouTube banned 13 channels: indicator.media/p/youtube-co...
into YouTube vids that falsely claim to show police racially profiling and arresting a person that turns out to to be an FBI agent. They've earned over 300 million views.
In response, YouTube banned 13 channels: indicator.media/p/youtube-co...
Reposted by Indicator
This is most literally the LOWEST HANGING FRUIT of AI detection: read (or maintain) the already-available metadata. Alexios' investigation shows that most of the platforms can't even do that.
Today on @indicator.media: A first-of-its-kind audit of AI labels on major social platforms.
Tech platforms promised to label AI content. They're not delivering.
An Indicator audit of hundreds of synthetic images and videos reveals that platforms frequently fail to label AI content
indicator.media
October 24, 2025 at 12:27 AM
This is most literally the LOWEST HANGING FRUIT of AI detection: read (or maintain) the already-available metadata. Alexios' investigation shows that most of the platforms can't even do that.
Reposted by Indicator
Over the course of three weeks, Indicator published 516 posts containing AI images and videos across Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube. Only 169 posts, or just over 30% of the total, were correctly labeled as AI-generated.
Today on @indicator.media: A first-of-its-kind audit of AI labels on major social platforms.
Tech platforms promised to label AI content. They're not delivering.
An Indicator audit of hundreds of synthetic images and videos reveals that platforms frequently fail to label AI content
indicator.media
October 23, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Over the course of three weeks, Indicator published 516 posts containing AI images and videos across Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube. Only 169 posts, or just over 30% of the total, were correctly labeled as AI-generated.