All articles tagged with #open source intelligence
WIRED analyzed hundreds of viral posts on X after the US‑Israel attack on Iran and found widespread disinformation—videos and images that are old or misattributed, AI-generated imagery, and claims of strikes that lack credible evidence—driven largely by blue-check accounts with limited corrective context from notes.
Following Iran's recent drone and missile strikes, social media platforms were inundated with misrepresented visuals and misinformation, exacerbated by accounts posing as "OSINT" investigators. The spread of falsehoods, including old footage repurposed as current events, has raised concerns about the erosion of the information landscape and the blurring of fact and fiction. Influential accounts, some of which appear to be monetizing misinformation, have contributed to the dissemination of false and misleading content, highlighting the potential for information chaos during fast-unfolding crises. Additionally, the introduction of a paid verification system on a social media platform has been criticized for prioritizing engagement over accuracy and enabling the amplification of misleading and inflammatory content.
Satellite imagery suggests that Russia has removed around half of its artillery from storage bases since the start of the Ukraine invasion, indicating a high rate of attrition of equipment. Open-source intelligence analysts estimate that Russia has lost 666 pieces of Self-Propelled Artillery and 340 pieces of Towed Artillery, with the actual numbers likely higher. The war is draining Russia's storage bases, with significant declines in both SPGs and towed artillery, potentially impacting the front line in the future.