The Information Laundromat
Uncover mirror websites. Understand content laundering. Safeguard content authenticity online.
Content Laundering /ˈkɒntent lɔːndərɪŋ/
noun
a strategic form of communication that disguises the origins of the content.
Exploring potential content laundering practices. Enter an article URL or snippet of text to analyse content similarity. Check the search engines you want to use to power the search results.
Enter a website URL to analyse metadata similarity with a variety of media outlets,
including both trusted, dubious and known disinformation news sources.
This tool is particularly helpful to detect affiliate networks, sister sites,
advertising collaborations, or DNS ban circumvention practices.
Prove content laundering from state-owned outlets
Researchers from two European Universities, supported by the Alliance for Securing Democracy, reveal evidence of a small network operating in Poland and Germany that launders Russian state media content into mainstream media. A sample of articles from problematic outlets, criticizing Ukrainian President Zelensky, was run through the Laundromat’s content search. The tool revealed that all the articles in the sample were lifted from Ria Novosti, an outlet belonging to the Russian? Segodnya group.
Find proxy websites that exist to overcome DNS bans
Both Russia Today and Sputnik News are currently subjected to DNS bans imposed by the European Commission. However, despite these restrictions, each site employs sophisticated techniques to reach audiences in EU member countries. Read the report to learn how researchers were able to utilize the Laundromat's website fingerprinting service to map the entire network of Russia Today proxy websites, using altered or entirely new domain names.
Tell if a site produces original content
Content laundering occurs when individuals or entities replicate website content without proper attribution and, in some cases, authorization. This method is commonly employed by disinformation operatives to disseminate problematic content and political propaganda. The Laundromat tool serves as an effective means to detect duplicate content online and substantiate instances of content plagiarism. See how to use the Laundromat to prove gaps in editorial transparency. Read the guide.
Case Studies
Investigate the laundering of Russian content and narratives
This search shows how the Laundromat can be used to identify sites that are laundering content from Russian state media. It lists sample of articles from with a high degree of similarity, sharing much of their content with the original article. The report below digs into this phenomenon at scale and provides a detailed analysis of the network of sites that are laundering content from Russian state media.
Explore RT's network of mirror websites
Researchers from the Instute for Strategic Dialoguee have uncovered several domain names that explicitly mirror (including branding, code, etc) a network of mirror websites of several RT websites. The Laundromat's Metadata Similarity feature can be used to iodentify the shared characteristics of the network of websites.
Generate OSINT leads and intelligence
In addition to identifying sites that are laundering content from Russian state media, the Laundromat can be used to generate leads and intelligence about how sites are made, who's advertising on them, their associated social media accounts, and more.