The Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), part of the Atlantic Council and established in 2016, studies disinformation and digital influence operations using open-source investigation. It publishes both investigations and the methodology behind them, making it a key reference for information integrity research.
Mission
To identify, expose, and explain disinformation and to build digital resilience worldwide.
Focus areas
- Open-source investigation of influence operations.
- Information integrity and digital forensics.
- Capacity building and training.
Why it matters for elections
DFRLab's public investigations model responsible, reproducible analysis of coordinated inauthentic behavior. Its work is a practical companion to the investigating disinformation campaigns guide, demonstrating how to separate coordination (observable) from attribution (often not) and how to report without amplifying.
Learn more
See the official website for investigations and methodology.
Frequently asked questions
What does DFRLab do?
The Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), part of the Atlantic Council, identifies, exposes, and explains disinformation and digital influence operations using open-source investigation, and publishes its methodology so others can reproduce it.
How is DFRLab relevant to elections?
DFRLab's investigations of coordinated inauthentic behavior and influence operations — and the transparent methods behind them — model how election disinformation can be studied rigorously and reproducibly.