Open Measures

Rumble’s Power Users Promote Crypto Scams and AI Slop - Open Measures Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

Users on Rumble -- a video-based alt-platform -- posted at least 4.4 million videos and 10.7 million comments last year.

We looked closer at the most-active uploaders and commenters on the site. What we found was a mix of hateful, scammy, and suspicious.

openmeasures.io/rumble-power...

Earlier this month, we published research showing these concerns about Tylenol were not popular outside a fringe subset of Trump’s online base on Truth Social. When the White House amplified these dubious claims, the platform lit up with posts repeating them.

openmeasures.io/tylenol-and-...

How the International Far Right is Getting on Board With Trump’s Antifa Terrorist Designation Trump’s baseless “Antifa” terrorist designation has sparked a global echo, with Hungary, Poland, and the Netherlands moving to replicate it. The coordinated effort reframes dissent as terrorism—part o...

Trump’s executive order labeling “Antifa” a domestic terrorist group is echoing internationally. Hungary, the Netherlands, and Poland are exploring similar measures, framing left-wing activism as a security threat.

Read more:

Exploring the Online Presence of Syrian Armed Groups - Open Measures Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

Our latest examines the ways two post-Assad insurgent groups in Syria have used Telegram to shape public perception. Both Saraya Ansar al-Sunna and the Coastal Shield Brigade show that today's conflict in Syria is as much a digital war as a ground war.
openmeasures.io/syrian-insur...

Zohran Mamdani Targeted by Islamophobic and Antisemitic Narratives after NYC Primary Victory - Open Measures Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

Early voting the NYC mayoral election starts tomorrow. ICYMI -- We took a closer look at the surge of identity-based attacks against front-runner Zohran Mamdani that appeared after he won the Democratic primary in June.

Read it here: openmeasures.io/zohran-mamda...

Schedule | Christchurch Hacker Conference The embedded view requires JavaScript.

We'll be at Christchurch Hacker Con in New Zealand next week! Come see our Liv Rowley present on stolen credential markets on Telegram on Oct 31 (spooky!).
2025.chcon.nz/schedule/

Flash Report: Dormant ‘Antifa’ Narratives Resurrected After Executive Order - Open Measures Wild claims and conspiracy theories about ‘radical left’ violence are generating renewed interest, raising risks for previously targeted individuals and organizations

Narratives about "Antifa" were largely dormant for most of Trump's current term in office, even on alt-platforms popular with right-wing communities. That all changed when a gunman killed activist Charlie Kirk and federal officials rushed to blame the "radical left"

openmeasures.io/antifa-narra...

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openmeasures.substack.com

Trump Admin Briefing Sparks Wave of Tylenol-Autism Posts on Truth Social - Open Measures Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

After the White House endorsed poorly supported claims that Tylenol is linked to autism last month, Truth Social users began to parrot the claims and engaged with posts that supported them more frequently. The topic was obscure and unpopular on Truth Social before that.

Data on Sydney Sweeney Ad Controversy Shows How MAGA Weaponizes Social Trends Manufacturing outrage.

Data on Sydney Sweeney Ad Controversy Shows How MAGA Weaponizes Social Trends https://gizmodo.com/data-on-sydney-sweeney-ad-controversy-shows-how-maga-weaponizes-social-trends-2000667399

Thanks @gizmodo.com for covering our latest case study!

gizmodo.com/data-on-sydn...

Open Measures Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

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Want to learn more about Open Measures or get in touch with our team? You can find more information on our website:

openmeasures.io

Outrage Cycle: Cracker Barrel and its CEO Targeted Amidst Logo Controversy - Open Measures Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

This piece is part of a series we're calling "Outrage Cycle," which takes a closer look at viral social media attacks on institutions. We previously looked back on backlash against Cracker Barrel's logo change, which prompted the company to abandon its new branding:
openmeasures.io/cracker-barr...

Outrage Over American Eagle’s ‘Great Jeans’ Ad Was a Conservative Media Creation - Open Measures Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

American Eagle was dragged into an online outrage cycle after conservative media figures claimed that liberals were offended by the clothing company's ads featuring Sydney Sweeney and a denim-themed pun about her "great jeans."

We checked the data. That wasn't true.

openmeasures.io/american-eag...

Our research on the online outrage cycle surrounding Cracker Barrel's logo change was cited in this piece at Gizmodo:

"According to data collected by Open Measures ... posters regularly tied the Cracker Barrel logo change to terms like 'woke' and 'DEI.'”
gizmodo.com/cracker-barr...

Outrage Cycle: Cracker Barrel and its CEO Targeted Amidst Logo Controversy - Open Measures Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

Cracker Barrel changed its logo, then changed it back. We looked at how certain online communities reacted, and found that nearly a quarter of posts referenced terms related to social justice and diversity. Read more here:
openmeasures.io/cracker-barr...

Engraved bullet casings have become shooters’ manifestos Experts in political violence say that such engravings are a way for shooters to ensure the rationale for their attacks is publicized even if their manifestos are suppressed.

Many perpetrators "almost view their acts as a type of performance art."

Thank you @drewharwell.com for including us in this story about political messages reportedly left on bullet casings in high-profile shootings.
www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...

Far-Right Extremists Were Among Earliest Promoters of Website Targeting Charlie Kirk Critics for Harassment - Open Measures Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

Our latest investigation reveals how extremist networks amplified a harassment site targeting people accused of making distasteful comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Read more here:

openmeasures.io/far-right-ex...

‘Pallywood’ conspiracy theories saw increased interest after reports of famine in Gaza - Open Measures Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

Online chatter about "Pallywood" -- the conspiracy theory that Palestinians stage suffering for propaganda -- gained renewed attention in July this year, after famine was declared in Gaza. Written with input from our partners at @freepressunlimited.org.

Read more:

Floating on Cloud Crime: Subscription-based credential markets on Telegram BSides Canberra 2025 Cybercriminals are hawking stolen credentials on Telegram, using a subscription-based model where clients pay for access to a trove of stolen information. From there, these credentials can be used…

We’re pleased to be taking part in @bsidescbr.bsky.social next week. Our Liv Rowley will be presenting on September 27, sharing insights into stolen credential markets on Telegram. If you’re attending, come say hi!

cfp.bsidescbr.com.au/bsides-canbe...

With Few Facts About Kirk Shooting, Wild Speculation Abounds

When crises occur and hard facts are at a premium, we're seeing the void filled with conjecture and dangerous conspiracy theories. In this case, Charlie Kirk’s death is being leveraged to stoke flames. @jaredlholt.bsky.social and @stuartathompson.bsky.social in NYT:

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/t...

Have really been enjoying the work I've been doing at @openmeasures.bsky.social. There's some cool stuff in the hopper I'm excited to share when it's out, but here's a recap of what I've published so far. 🧵 (1/6)

Why Some Alt-Platform Users Still Support Leaving X/Twitter - Open Measures Despite Elon Musk’s efforts toward a “free speech” rebrand, some alt-platforms users support leaving X/Twitter or won't return to the site.

People fled Twitter in pursuit of "free speech platforms"; why are some of these people not returning to Musk's X? Tensions between Musk and Trump seem to play a role at discouraging a return. Read more here:
openmeasures.io/leaving-x-tw...

@mantzarlis.com & @craigsilverman.bsky.social are building something special at @indicator.media that really resonates with us at Open Measures. Thank you for featuring us on your great write up and demo + workshop last week.
indicator.media/p/3-free-or-...

Flash Report: Claims of 4chan’s Death Were Greatly Exaggerated - Open Measures 4chan was compromised and went offline for 10 days, it has since returned as of April 25, 2025, with similar levels of influence.

Did 4chan's April outage have a lasting negative impact on its activity levels and userbase? In short: no. Check out our thoughts here: openmeasures.io/4chan-returns/

Flash Report: August is Active Month for Australian Far-Right - Open Measures An August 9 neo-Nazi rally in Melbourne and an August 31 nationwide anti-immigration rally are keeping the Australian far-right busy.

August is a busy month for the Australian far-right. An Aug 9 neo-Nazi rally in Melbourne was followed by a weekend gathering of the same group, & details of an Aug 31 anti-immigration rally are being shared in far-right Telegram channels & socials. Read more:
openmeasures.io/flash-report...

Zohran Mamdani Win Spurs Islamophobic and Antisemitic Attacks - Open Measures After Zohran Mamdani won the primary in New York City, online identity-based attacks followed with Islamophobic and antisemitic themes.

Nearly 1/3 of all posts about New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani contain Islamophobia or accusations of antisemitism, according to our research across 5 major alt-tech platforms. Check it out here: openmeasures.io/zohran-mamda...

‘Epstein Files’ Obsession Now Old News to Trump's Online Base - Open Measures After the Trump Administration declined to release additional “Epstein Files,” discussion of Epstein has suddenly quieted on Truth Social.

Has Trump’s online base moved on from the ‘Epstein Files’ scandal? In my first piece for @openmeasures.bsky.social, I ran the numbers.

Of the alt-platforms I looked at, the only one keeping Epstein discussion alive was this one: Bluesky.

openmeasures.io/epstein-files/

‘Epstein Files’ Obsession Now Old News to Trump's Online Base - Open Measures After the Trump Administration declined to release additional “Epstein Files,” discussion of Epstein has suddenly quieted on Truth Social.

Fixation on the release of the "Epstein files" seems to have been a passing obsession for pro-Trump communities online. Interest, which skyrocketed in early July, has since subsided. Read more here:
openmeasures.io/epstein-files/

Floating on Cloud Crime: Subscription-based credential markets on Telegram BSides Canberra 2025 Cybercriminals are hawking stolen credentials on Telegram, using a subscription-based model where clients pay for access to a trove of stolen information. From there, these credentials can be used for...

See you in Canberra! On September 27th, Open Measures' Research Manager, Liv Rowley,
will be presenting @bsidescbr.bsky.social‬ on how stolen credentials are sold on Telegram channels. Reach out to talk cybercrime, Telegram, and other online threats.

cfp.bsidescbr.com.au/bsides-canbe...