Content that makes you feel most certain you’re right and they’re wrong is content specifically engineered to exploit your existing beliefs and identity. The fact that it aligns perfectly with what you already think isn’t validation. It’s targeting. Go on, read the full article.

Shirley’s and Johnson’s probes target California at a crucial moment for the 2026 midterms. Narratives portray Newsom as corrupt, nationalising local races and mobilising base turnout. There is grounds to consider this the shaping phase of an operation. More on: substack.com/home/post/p-...

Tupac quoted him. Wu-Tang sampled his broadcasts. White militia guys and Black inmates read the same text and saw their own betrayal reflected back. "Do Your Own Research." Look at where we are now. read now: thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/why-do-you...

Am I seeing how people are aware of how their media plays into their views? Am I seeing how more people support the work that is done against disinformation? Yes I am. And that's worth every little bit of growth. Are you taking part in this? Here is a link to do so. substack.com/@thedisinfor...

In New Zealand, racist online rhetoric blamed iwi(tribe) for the 22 Jan Mt Maunganui landslide, claiming that tree removal efforts caused the fatal slip. While many call is misinformation, its assessed more as malinformation. read more on: thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/this-week-...

History doesn't repeat. It often rhymes. There was a solid article written by Caroline Orr Bueno on Substack. She documents all the tactics and mannerism used in this clips. It really really is a great read. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Not mine but DAMN its good.

The pattern across twenty-two centuries reveals three constant principles. First: exploit cognitive architecture. Second: weaponise uncertainty. Third: achieve objectives without kinetic force. Now, the war doesn’t wait for volunteers anymore, and you are in it.

A House of Commons committee heard evidence on 18 Jan 2026 that 1,300 social media accounts promoting Scottish independence and anti-West narratives. But those bots went silent during Iran’s internet blackout from 8 Jan 2026. thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/this-week-...

Official comms don’t happen by accident, they’re crafted by strategic teams with clear intent. The images, first posted by Kristi Noem, were altered to make one woman look like she was crying. When official channels doctor images for emotional impact, it’s not just messaging, it edges into lies.

From a military standpoint, America ditching NATO would be a catastrophic self-own. NATO isn't just a treaty or a membership; it's the backbone of effortless US dominance in Europe and beyond. If the powers that be really go for Greenland, we're then back to unilateral overstretch like the 1930s.

The Greenland situation has multiple narratives all competing for your attention. Each narrative constructs different stakes. The temporal compression between events and viral interpretation creates policy friction whether users intend it or not. substack.com/home/post/p-...

As I continue to understand the shape of our information and cognitive space, I’m realising that officials now respond less to what actually happened and more to what millions believe happened. This matters for Greenland. thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/the-four-s...

Sometimes when drafting articles for the future, there comes a line that sits so uncomfortable with me that it should be shared. It pays to learn the architecture of our upbringing, genetics, and history. Then we can understand and perhaps move forward. After all, we are only human.

Ryan Mcbeth is on a roll here. I can’t stress this enough, a point of vulnerability is a point to be exploited. Incidents like this will bring up emotions and demand change, which allows foreign adversaries to leverage the chaos. www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_cr...

Following Maduro’s arrest, AI-generated fakes flooded X, Instagram, and TikTok after the raid. Then, a fake Politico screenshot circulated claiming Trump planned to wear uniforms. Finally, Beijing has reframed a hacking exposure as slander. thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/this-week-...

I remember sitting around with other lads early in February 2022, watching the flood of content pour in. That moment sparked this passion. Then I realised, horribly, that the lies were a vehicle and we ARE the target. substack.com/home/post/p-...

When military force gets repackaged as law enforcement, and when linguistic framing determines which constitutional constraints apply, something shifts in how power operates. so, what's NOT being said about the Maduro extraction? thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/whats-not-...

Like millions tracking breaking alerts, I awoke to reports of a surgical 3-hour operation seizing Nicolás Maduro. But, social media lit up with the usual mess. More to follow in this weeks report.

Trust travels faster than rumour. Rank and authority can’t verify your words. In a space crowded with noise, credibility is today’s command presence. When voices feel unheard, they go elsewhere. When people believe someone will listen, truth flows faster than rumor. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Happy new year? This week in disinformation remains as a constant. And over the new year break, things didn’t slow down from disinformation’s two biggest promulgators, China And Russia. substack.com/home/post/p-...

History forgives no one, and Iran's gamble looks reckless. Why? Never divide your strength across two fronts. Napoleon split his army between Russia and Spain, and paid dearly. Hitler made the same error, invading the Soviet Union while locked in with Britain. And its happening in Iran now.

Clausewitz defines strategy as connecting political purposes (ends) to military aims (ways) using available means. Looking to Justice Mission 2025 links the three with the following. 1 out of 3 x.com/TheStudyofWa...

What do I wish for 2026? Wish #1: I Wish Platforms Would Make Us Pause Before Sharing Wish #2: I Wish For Verification To Come With Public Receipts Wish #3: I Wish We Could Invert The Social Cost of Information Sharing Read more on: substack.com/home/post/p-...

Are these wishes realistic? Some of them. Are they comprehensive? Absolutely not. Are they perfect solutions? Not even close. But they are something as we go into 2026. open.substack.com/pub/thedisin... #disinformation #writing #fakenews #media

In Chinese, exercises with names like “Justice Mission” are typically rendered with strongly moralized terms such as 义 (“righteousness”) or 正义 (“justice”) combined with words like 行动 (“operation”) or 任务 (“mission”), rather than neutral labels.

Yes, it happened. Disinformation actors actually told the truth on their own platforms. Christmas did deliver this year and Ukraine headlines it. To all the warriors who made these disinformation actors tell the truth thank you. Read more on: thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/this-week-...

Sometimes the truth comes out, and no one knows how to lie their way out of it. In Kupyansk, years of Kremlin disinfo such as fake “victories,” staged videos, invented maps, all hit a wall when Ukraine’s gains became undeniable. Even pro‑war bloggers had to admit the lies.

Nice work on this. Its one vector of attack that is employed by the Kremlin.

Why do people defend their deceivers, not despite evidence but because of it? To understand why contradiction strengthens belief, you have to see what the system is built to reward. The answer is the Loyalty Algorithm. thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/the-loyalt...

Sometimes, the details of cleaning up a false information narrative shows. Note that Zelenskyy was reported by many sources and even geo tagged in Kupiansk. Therefore, this is Russian disinformation. This has been sourced from Center for Countering Disinformation who do some great work.

The Bondi Beach attacks were not only a national tragedy but also an information crisis. Within hours of the shootings, false stories and manipulated narratives flooded social media. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Look closely. Now look even closer. While the story is indeed true, this video is AI generated. Why? There are two glaring inconsistencies. 1. Numbers keep messing up. 2. The second pilot seat appears out of nowhere.

From Taylor Swift’s album launch hijacked, to Russian trolls twisting a real‑estate story into a smear of Ukraine’s president, to AI‑generated soldiers fueling outrage politics in the UK, the mechanics are the same. Read now on: thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/this-week-...

Every so often I look at what This Week in Disinformation has turned into and think: surely this can't be happening. This week has Taylor Swift, Bill Cosby, and the UK. Note that they are unrelated, yet somehow part of the same fever dream. substack.com/@DisinfoObse...

Would it be fair to say you’re here because you’re done with lies, spin, and bullshit? I’m building The Disinformation Observer so you can see through it all. And get your country on the scoreboard. Currently America is winning. substack.com/@thedisinfor...

When the Trump Administration launched the “Media Bias Portal” on its website, it revealed more about their use of information warfare tactics than any sincere attempt to promote truthfulness. What does this mean? Well read on to find out. thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/this-week-...

It is a little late! But here it is! This Week In Disinformation, staring the White House and its pursuit of “fake news”, Taiwan banning Rednote and Pakistan making AI content. thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/this-week-...

What is an information vacuum? It is a situation where there is a complete lack or severe shortage of accessible or available information about a particular topic or issue. thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/the-second...

Your at Thanksgiving dinner. Your uncle says "I've seen those videos." Your only thought is "where we fucking go." Would it also be fair to say that this is such a gut wretch at Thanksgiving? Well, I might have something that can help. thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/disinforma...

X now shows where a post was made from. It’s an update with big consequences for information warfare and disinformation. Many of the loudest voices online aren’t what they appear. Their outrage often comes from somewhere else, literally and ideologically. It suggests an agenda doesn't it?

On 16 November 2025, the X account @Polymarket initiated the claim that Mamdani would force NYC kids to learn “Arabic numerals.” thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/this-week-...

Somedays when you check your updates, you let out a sigh with the disappointment of the world. Other days, you get a note that tells you’re doing the right thing. Once in a while, someone sees you for the work you do. I write about disinformation and information war. substack.com/@thedisinfor...

Shortly after “those” emails were released, liberal social media users began claiming that Leavitt responded to questions about Trump’s involvement with Epstein by saying: “It is not president Trump who is in the Epstein emails. It is another person with the same name.” substack.com/home/post/p-...

Between 10–12 Nov 2025, the Telegram channels Karmabash and RVvoenkor, along with fringe X accounts, pushed AI-generated fake surrender videos and doctored images claiming mass Ukrainian surrender. Not only is it a bad AI video, its attempting to "win." read more on: substack.com/inbox/post/1...

Would it surprise you that emotional manipulation in disinformation doesn’t require lying about facts? It hijacks feelings. When you’re looking emotional content, verifying the source seems callous. It seems wrong. That’s how we loose. thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/the-disinf...

There is a certain complexity with emotional manipulation. Let it be known that there are things worth being angry over, but the goals are something to always question. Disinformation uses real emotions to trick people into sharing and fighting, not changing anything. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Isn’t it interesting that even when the original source says that this is AI, people bend it to fit their own narrative? Its as though while AI is concerning for disinformation, its not the actual problem. Hmm. Food for thought.

Its quite good to see X do this. Paid disinformation actors are incredibly effective and cheap. So if this defeats them, I do hope we see less disinformation on X. Here’s hoping. Wonder if @bsky.app will do this too?

Starting 29 October 2025 and peaking around election day on 4 November 2025, multiple disinformation themes emerged. These claims spread predominately on X, Facebook, TikTok, and Truth Social, reaching millions. thedisinformationobserver.substack.com/p/this-week-...