joe bodnar
@joeabodnar.bsky.social
I track state-backed info ops at @isdglobal.bsky.social. Cited by the Economist, AP, CNN, Washington Post, and others. Opinions mine and open to change
TikTok says it removed a network of more than a quarter million accounts targeting Moldovans with content meant to promote pro-Russia candidates.
That's an absolutely insane number. It'd be great to get more than three sentences on this op. www.tiktok.com/transparency...
That's an absolutely insane number. It'd be great to get more than three sentences on this op. www.tiktok.com/transparency...
October 15, 2025 at 1:25 PM
TikTok says it removed a network of more than a quarter million accounts targeting Moldovans with content meant to promote pro-Russia candidates.
That's an absolutely insane number. It'd be great to get more than three sentences on this op. www.tiktok.com/transparency...
That's an absolutely insane number. It'd be great to get more than three sentences on this op. www.tiktok.com/transparency...
This is why Russian ops have created 700 million stories about Zelensky misusing US funding for Ukraine
October 8, 2025 at 3:45 PM
This is why Russian ops have created 700 million stories about Zelensky misusing US funding for Ukraine
There's a small, apparently coordinated network of X accounts attacking Rubio and defending Venezuela:
September 4, 2025 at 2:46 PM
There's a small, apparently coordinated network of X accounts attacking Rubio and defending Venezuela:
Corporate needs you to find the differences between Russia's Foreign Ministry and a Storm-1516 influencer
August 14, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Corporate needs you to find the differences between Russia's Foreign Ministry and a Storm-1516 influencer
Z-Alliance and NoName057(16) are now using an APT28 logo in videos purporting to show them hacking critical infrastructure.
Very fancy.
Very fancy.
July 28, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Z-Alliance and NoName057(16) are now using an APT28 logo in videos purporting to show them hacking critical infrastructure.
Very fancy.
Very fancy.
"Not good! This is a pit!" might be my favorite Spamouflage quote
July 21, 2025 at 8:59 PM
"Not good! This is a pit!" might be my favorite Spamouflage quote
A lot of Overload's bot network on X has been removed, and it now appears to be using a 2nd network to boost some posts.
The old reposts simultaneously, while the new does no more than one repost a minute across a longer timeframe. No engagement before or after that timeframe, though.
The old reposts simultaneously, while the new does no more than one repost a minute across a longer timeframe. No engagement before or after that timeframe, though.
July 2, 2025 at 2:06 PM
A lot of Overload's bot network on X has been removed, and it now appears to be using a 2nd network to boost some posts.
The old reposts simultaneously, while the new does no more than one repost a minute across a longer timeframe. No engagement before or after that timeframe, though.
The old reposts simultaneously, while the new does no more than one repost a minute across a longer timeframe. No engagement before or after that timeframe, though.
Good turnout in Chatt for No Kings Day
June 14, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Good turnout in Chatt for No Kings Day
Followed a lead in OpenAI's report from last week and found a small cluster of Iranian accounts posting about the LA protests. No impact, but interesting to watch.
June 9, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Followed a lead in OpenAI's report from last week and found a small cluster of Iranian accounts posting about the LA protests. No impact, but interesting to watch.
Here’s a take: AI has allowed some information operations to get even sloppier than they already were in pursuit of volume. The people behind this IO also used ChatGPT to write performance reviews, so they’re taking all the shortcuts.
cdn.openai.com/threat-intel...
cdn.openai.com/threat-intel...
June 5, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Here’s a take: AI has allowed some information operations to get even sloppier than they already were in pursuit of volume. The people behind this IO also used ChatGPT to write performance reviews, so they’re taking all the shortcuts.
cdn.openai.com/threat-intel...
cdn.openai.com/threat-intel...
Market incentives are going to keep trumping stated missions, and we'll have 1,000 bears and 1,000 storms. news.risky.biz/risky-bullet...
June 4, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Market incentives are going to keep trumping stated missions, and we'll have 1,000 bears and 1,000 storms. news.risky.biz/risky-bullet...
25 seconds of scrolling through Operation Overload posts attacking Maia Sandu
May 28, 2025 at 7:20 PM
25 seconds of scrolling through Operation Overload posts attacking Maia Sandu
If there's one thing to know about the French government, it's that it loves posting videos of shirtless tech founders.
May 28, 2025 at 2:18 PM
If there's one thing to know about the French government, it's that it loves posting videos of shirtless tech founders.
YouTube is finally serving me the kind of geopolitical AI slop that keeps me going
May 16, 2025 at 3:35 PM
YouTube is finally serving me the kind of geopolitical AI slop that keeps me going
Overload's posts on Bluesky get no traction, but the profiles it uses here are so much cleaner than the recycled ones it uses on X.
Here are a few that claim to work for Viginum, Der Spiegel, and Reuters.
Here are a few that claim to work for Viginum, Der Spiegel, and Reuters.
May 13, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Overload's posts on Bluesky get no traction, but the profiles it uses here are so much cleaner than the recycled ones it uses on X.
Here are a few that claim to work for Viginum, Der Spiegel, and Reuters.
Here are a few that claim to work for Viginum, Der Spiegel, and Reuters.
YouTube hasn't even taken down half of the Storm-1516 videos seeded on the platform.
I went through the archived links in Viginum's report on the operation. 33 Storm-1516 videos were initially dropped on YouTube. 17 are still up.
I went through the archived links in Viginum's report on the operation. 33 Storm-1516 videos were initially dropped on YouTube. 17 are still up.
May 9, 2025 at 6:41 PM
YouTube hasn't even taken down half of the Storm-1516 videos seeded on the platform.
I went through the archived links in Viginum's report on the operation. 33 Storm-1516 videos were initially dropped on YouTube. 17 are still up.
I went through the archived links in Viginum's report on the operation. 33 Storm-1516 videos were initially dropped on YouTube. 17 are still up.
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana
I'm
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana
I'm
April 29, 2025 at 6:27 PM
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana
I'm
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana Ronan
I'm Geana
I'm
Revisiting the 1516 video claiming that Olena Zelenska bought a dress from Meghan Markle for $2.9M. Just three posts with the video gained nearly 20M views on X. Some influential accounts reposted it, as did the Gateway Pundit.
Wild reach for obvious nonsense.
Wild reach for obvious nonsense.
April 28, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Revisiting the 1516 video claiming that Olena Zelenska bought a dress from Meghan Markle for $2.9M. Just three posts with the video gained nearly 20M views on X. Some influential accounts reposted it, as did the Gateway Pundit.
Wild reach for obvious nonsense.
Wild reach for obvious nonsense.
Saw the Russian intel-linked site Golos EU float the idea that Ukraine and the UK would sabotage peace talks yesterday.
Polyanskiy is picking up the line now.
Polyanskiy is picking up the line now.
April 22, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Saw the Russian intel-linked site Golos EU float the idea that Ukraine and the UK would sabotage peace talks yesterday.
Polyanskiy is picking up the line now.
Polyanskiy is picking up the line now.
Everyone should stop what they're doing and spend the next six minutes watching Xinhua's new parody show about the impact of sanctions.
Both episodes are amazing.
Both episodes are amazing.
April 7, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Everyone should stop what they're doing and spend the next six minutes watching Xinhua's new parody show about the impact of sanctions.
Both episodes are amazing.
Both episodes are amazing.
I think about Doppelganger's croissant-obsession like once a month
April 4, 2025 at 6:53 PM
I think about Doppelganger's croissant-obsession like once a month
I don't know what this is, but it feels like Storm-1516.
Interview with outlandish claim against politician dropped on a YouTube channel with 5 subscribers. Picked up by a random site a few days later. Amplified by pro-Russia account on X, getting 2.6M views.
Interview with outlandish claim against politician dropped on a YouTube channel with 5 subscribers. Picked up by a random site a few days later. Amplified by pro-Russia account on X, getting 2.6M views.
April 1, 2025 at 6:42 PM
I don't know what this is, but it feels like Storm-1516.
Interview with outlandish claim against politician dropped on a YouTube channel with 5 subscribers. Picked up by a random site a few days later. Amplified by pro-Russia account on X, getting 2.6M views.
Interview with outlandish claim against politician dropped on a YouTube channel with 5 subscribers. Picked up by a random site a few days later. Amplified by pro-Russia account on X, getting 2.6M views.
Fascinating to see how the Pravda network / Portal Kombat is being used.
Picture one is someone citing Pravda to debunk Chay Bowes, a known Storm-1516 promoter. Picture two is Operation Overload claiming Ukraine is running its own Pravda-type operation.
Picture one is someone citing Pravda to debunk Chay Bowes, a known Storm-1516 promoter. Picture two is Operation Overload claiming Ukraine is running its own Pravda-type operation.
March 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Fascinating to see how the Pravda network / Portal Kombat is being used.
Picture one is someone citing Pravda to debunk Chay Bowes, a known Storm-1516 promoter. Picture two is Operation Overload claiming Ukraine is running its own Pravda-type operation.
Picture one is someone citing Pravda to debunk Chay Bowes, a known Storm-1516 promoter. Picture two is Operation Overload claiming Ukraine is running its own Pravda-type operation.