A three-year investigation describes a large online influence operation that promoted the “great replacement,” a debunked white-nationalist conspiracy claiming that non-white migrants are deliberately replacing white Europeans. From October 2023 to October 2026, the campaign reached audiences in more than 30 countries, generating an estimated 800 million advertising exposures at a cost of up to £6.12 million. Researchers traced the operation to entities based in Israel that had worked on campaigns for Israeli political figures and parties, but say they cannot prove that the Israeli state directed it. The campaign used AI-generated images and music, parody videos, protest footage and other repurposed clips to portray migration and Islam as an invasion, often casting Qatar as the force behind the supposed takeover.
The operation ran 1,473 Facebook ads, 189 YouTube videos and hundreds of TikTok ads and account videos. Researchers found that 61% of 406 comments on UK-targeted Facebook ads in 2024 expressed support for Islamophobic views, though they could not determine how exposure changed people’s beliefs. After Meta removed an earlier network in 2024, the campaign resurfaced through proxies first linked to Vietnam and later using Brazilian corporate assets; YouTube also removed some connected channels, which quickly reappeared. Researchers argue that platforms need stronger advertiser identity checks and faster enforcement, likely requiring government regulation. Meta says it removes coordinated inauthentic networks and enforces rules against hate speech and deceptive activity.
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Snapchat exposes millions of teens to risks including compulsive use, sextortion, sexual exploitation, drugs, guns, and bullying. The authors say Snap knew about these harms and ineffective age checks but often failed to make meaningful changes. (afterbabel.com)
Silicon Valley singles are using spreadsheets and AI to analyze potential dates, while some pay coaches as much as $5,000 a month. These services turn dating into a data-driven process for evaluating compatibility and finding partners. (techspot.com)
A dog reportedly pushed children into the Seine, then appeared to rescue them. A 1908 newspaper headline branded the dog a fake hero. (nytimes.com)
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