Sam Riddell
@riddellsam.bsky.social
Senior Analyst at Google Threat Intelligence Group. Focused on info ops & cyber threat intelligence.
These are going to come for the left too. They financially motivated — Macedonian teenager type stuff for the AI era. Scammers profiting off of easily enraged people. MAGA may be more susceptible to ragebait but worth understanding what’s going to happen in 2026 and 2028.
Adam Serwer@adamserwer.bsky.social · 4mo agoImportant story from the Times on the rise of AI influencers for Trump www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/b...
This is what government censorship actually looks like: defunding entire fields, deporting researchers, and quite effectively chilling speech that helps people understand how our information systems are being exploited and calls out powerful people and platforms for their bullshit.
Kate Starbird@katestarbird.bsky.social · 8mo agoFor the last decade, the pervasive spread of bullshit & manipulation of online platforms have been widely recognized societal concerns. Now non US citizens studying those subjects can be labeled “censors” & denied visas or deported from the US. Censorship, indeed. www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
This is a group people I’ve found to be deeply and passionately dedicated to free speech and democracy. The completely disingenuous labeling of this group as “censors” would be laughable if its motives weren’t so transparently disturbing: A monopoly on what constitutes “truth” by one man.
Kate Klonick@klonick.bsky.social · 8mo agoHoly shit. Reuters reporting that new admin instructions on visas are if you worked at a platform in trust & safety or content moderation or on fact checking or online safety at an platform you *and your loved ones* are ineligible for H-1B visa. www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Do your mental health a favor and turn this on for today. You really don't want to watch this. It is awful.
southpaw@nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 11mo agosettings > content & media > autoplay video & gifs = off
“Impact” of IO is notoriously hard to measure. The Breakout Scale, from @benimmo.bsky.social, continues to be one of the best tools for doing so. This one is a great example of a “Category 5” op, if the attribution to Overload/Matryoshka is indeed correct.
The Insider@theins.press · last yr.Elon Musk shares fake video created by Russian disinfo network alleging celebrity trips to Ukraine were funded by USAID The clip is likely tied to the Russian disinfo network "Matryoshka," which previously spread pro-Kremlin narratives on Bluesky and X.
Since leaving Twitter in 2022 for now-obvious reasons, I've hesitated to migrate elsewhere. It now seems that Bluesky is heir-apparent, so you'll find me here posting more actively again. I hope to add value where I can on a limited # of topics, and shut up on everything else. Here goes!
Objectivity is a muscle that must be trained and is rarely emotionally satisfying. Yet, doggedly resisting our own biases in pursuit of truth is one of the most important things that can be done as observers and analysts in times of war.
