spotlight
Digital Sherlocks 2026
The DFRLab’s Digital Sherlocks program is preparing for its next chapter.
After a pause, we are excited to share that the program will return in 2026.
Since 2019, Digital Sherlocks has formed a global community of open-source investigators, advancing information integrity and strengthening democratic resilience. We are committed to continuing that mission in this challenging time for our community.
For future announcements and updates, subscribe to the DFRLab’s The Source.
Latest PUBLICATIONS
December 2025
Kremlin-origin campaigns target Armenia with ‘Ukrainization’ narrative
As Armenia shifts its foreign policy, pro-Russia channels amplify familiar fearmongering narratives
December 2025
Moldovan ‘Traitors’ portal linked to Russian cybercrime group
Anti-PAS online smear campaign linked to sanctioned Russian actor
December 2025
How social media manipulation fuels anti-Ukraine sentiment in Poland
How inauthentic social media activity exploits political and security events to seed division between Poland and Ukraine
December 2025
Shaping the Road to the AI Impact Summit in India
Examining how global governance efforts around AI intersect and what they collectively mean for the future of inclusive AI.
December 2025
Lessons on countering foreign manipulation from Moldova’s 2025 elections
Drawing on research conducted under the FIMI Defenders for Election Integrity (FDEI) Project coordinated by FIMI-ISAC, the DFRLab provides a detailed look at the complex information environment surrounding the elections.
November 2025
Suspicious websites amplify narratives from sanctioned Russian entities targeting Georgia
Three websites launder content from sanctioned Russian platforms and target Georgia with anti-West narratives.
November 2025
Pro-Kremlin actors seed narratives to undermine Western military aid to Ukraine
Alleged hack-and-leak operations were used to amplify cross-platform narratives seeking to destabilize Ukraine’s relationship with Western allies.
November 2025
How a forged France 24 report fueled a radioactive lie concerning France-Armenia relations
Forged media, impersonated journalists, and coordinated online networks drove a nuclear hoax targeting Armenia
October 2025
Pro-Kremlin politician weaponizes satire to engage Russian population in Estonia ahead of local elections
The posts lack a clear disclaimer indicating that they are satire and are often perceived as real news, portraying the current Estonian government in a negative light.
October 2025
Targeting the faithful: Pro-Russia campaign engages Moldova’s Christian voters
A coordinated online campaign relied on Christian traditionalist and anti-EU rhetoric to mobilize voters against PAS.
September 2025
Paid to post: Russia-linked ‘digital army’ seeks to undermine Moldovan election
Russia-linked operation active since at least 2024 is using paid ‘activists’ to target Moldovan vote
September 2025
Sanctioned Russian actor linked to new media outlet targeting Moldova
REST is linked to the Russian threat actor Rybar, which targets EU countries, along with Moldova
September 2025
Module II: Partnering to counter information manipulation in South Caucasus and Eastern Europe
The project focuses on strengthening the capabilities of local stakeholders to identify and counter domestic and foreign information manipulations
September 2025
Risk assessment: Moldova’s electoral environment in 2025
Key risks include illicit funding, disinformation, and increasingly sophisticated cyber-enabled influence operations.
September 2025
Analysis: China’s bid to rewrite the internet’s DNA
Clock is ticking as Beijing moves to control the technical rules governing the next generation of the internet
August 2025
Cross-platform campaign accuses Moldova’s Sandu of meddling in Romanian elections
A network of more than 200 coordinated accounts targeted Romania in a months-long operation supporting Simion and Georgescu
August 2025
Election report: Assessment of FIMI in the 2025 Polish presidential election
Poland faces a persistent, multifaceted information threat, but civic resilience remains strong.
July 2025
‘The multistakeholder model is the engine that powers the internet’ —Konstantinos Komaitis on WSIS+20
A statement from Konstantinos Komaitis on the WSIS+20 process and the future of digital governance.
Upcoming & Recent Events
Digital occupation: Inside Russia’s Telegram battle in Ukraine
A new report—launched in partnership with the Digital Forensic Research Lab, Eurasia Center, and OpenMinds—uncovers how thousands of fake Telegram accounts were used in a covert Russian influence campaign targeting Ukrainians in occupied territories.
Why the UN’s Internet Governance Forum still matters twenty years on
Hosted by the Democracy + Tech Initiative, this conversation brings together experts to explore the importance of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and the role it has played for the past twenty years.
Microsoft’s Brad Smith on digital resilience during geopolitical volatility
AN #ACFRONTPAGE EVENT—Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft, shares insights on maintaining trust and promoting competitiveness in a time of trade and geopolitical volatility.
Governing emerging technology in Africa
Join the Atlantic Council’s Democracy + Tech Initiative on March 10 at 9:00 am ET for the launch of Emerging technology policies and democracy in Africa: South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Zambia in focus
Venezuela: A playbook for digital repression
The DFRLab’s latest report offers a comprehensive view on how Venezuela has become a model for digital authoritarianism and an exporter of democratic backsliding to the rest of the Americas.
Using data for accountability: Lessons learned from the Oversight Board’s impact
In this discussion, Oversight Board Head of Data & Implementation and DFRLab Non-Resident Fellow Naomi Shiffman presents lessons learned from the Board’s work.
Undermining Ukraine: How Russia widened global information operations in 2023
The launch of the DFRLab’s latest report investigating pro-Kremlin propaganda and disinformation tools and narratives worldwide.
How Ukraine fights Russian disinformation: Beehive vs mammoth
A discussion led by report co-authors Jakub Kalenský and Roman Osadchuk about Ukraine’s groundbreaking strategies against Russian disinformation.
Elections Everywhere All at Once
An expert conversation on the implications of the 83 elections occurring in 78 countries in 2024.
Democracy + Tech Initiative
The Democracy + Tech Initiative creates policy practices that align global stakeholders toward tech and governance that reinforces, rather than undermines, open societies.
Cyber Statecraft Initiative
The Cyber Statecraft Initiative works at the nexus of geopolitics and cybersecurity to craft strategies to better inform and secure users of technology.
Digital Sherlocks Training Program
Combatting disinformation can’t be done alone; ultimately it requires a growing movement of individuals taking the lead around the world and in their own communities. It’s these #DigitalSherlocks who are at the heart of our movement.
About DFRLab
The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research leads the study of information to promote transparency and accountability online and around the world.