About Indicator
“Two of the internet’s great sleuths”
—Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of Semafor
Indicator is your essential guide to understanding and investigating digital deception.
We publish original reporting, in-depth investigations, and practical tutorials. Our expert research equips you with the knowledge and skills to navigate a chaotic digital landscape filled with scams, search engine and social media manipulation, disinformation, trolling, mobile app abuse, spyware, AI slop and more.
Indicator is designed for people on the front lines of digital investigations: journalists, analysts, researchers, and trust and safety professionals—alongside everyday citizens who want to make sense of what they see online. Indicator is for people who give a s**t:
- About our information environment
- About open source reporting and investigations
- About studying and exposing digital deception and manipulation
- About evidence and accountability
What we publish
A weekly Briefing of the latest must-read news and research about digital deception as well as links to new and updated OSINT tools and techniques.
Exclusive reporting and investigations that expose new threats, hold platforms accountable, and reveal the people and entities trying to manipulate the information environment.
Hands-on guides to OSINT and digital investigative tools and techniques. We help you become a better investigator, whether you’re a professional or a motivated citizen trying to separate the signal from the noise.
Deep-dive breakdowns of impactful digital and OSINT investigations and research to help you learn and apply the lessons in your own work and life.
A regularly updated Academic Library that collects and summarizes research studies related to misinformation, fact-checking, AI-generated deceptive content, and more.
A monthly workshop that offers live walkthroughs of investigations, tools and techniques.
Insightful analysis of the digital information ecosystem.
Who we are
“If you’ve been paying attention to the world of misinformation and disinformation for the past decade, you know the names of Craig Silverman and Alexios Mantzarlis.
—Joshua Benton, senior writer, Nieman Lab
Alexios
Craig
Craig Silverman (craigsilverman.ca) — I’ve spent more than 15 years researching and reporting on how our information environment is being manipulated. I’m obsessed with learning and teaching new digital investigative and OSINT techniques, and with spreading the skills to as many people as possible.
Prior to launching Indicator, I was a national reporter with ProPublica focused on investigating digital platforms and online manipulation. I previously served as media editor of BuzzFeed News, where I developed approaches to exposing digital disinformation and media manipulation.
I’m the editor of the European Journalism Centre’s Verification Handbook series, which offer free world-class guidance on how to verify online content and investigate disinformation and media manipulation. My reporting has been honored with a George Polk Award, the Carey McWilliams Award from the American Political Science Association, two SABEW awards, and the McGillivray Award from the Canadian Association of Journalists.
Alexios Mantzarlis (mantzarlis.com) — I am a recovering fact-checker and tech worker. I spend 80% of my time at Cornell Tech as the director of the Security, Trust, and Safety Initiative and the remaining time on Indicator.
Before starting Indicator, I sent the newsletter Faked Up. Prior to that, I spent 5 years at Google Trust & Safety where I built the content adversarial red teaming for Gemini and lead a Search content policy team.
I was the founding director of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), the global coalition of fact-checking projects. As Director of the IFCN, I helped draft the fact-checkers' code of principles, shepherded a seminal partnership between fact-checkers and Facebook (RIP).
I care about online information quality as a fundamental prerequisite for healthy societies
Subscribers’ corner
If you’re already a subscriber to Indicator: Thank you!
We welcome tips, questions or concerns from subscribers.
Email [email protected] for story ideas and recommendations or [email protected] for any issues with access to the site, payments, etc.
