Ben Collins

Ben Collins is a former editor at The Daily Beast.Send him a tip: tips@thedailybeast.com. You can also use our anonymous document submission system, SecureDrop. Click here to find out how.

FAKE RACIST GRANDMAS

Disinformation is the New Normal

The Daily Beast was one of the first to cover the weirdness of hostile foreign entities posing as human actors on social media. It’s a beat that’s not going away anytime soon.

Ben Collins

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R/NoComment

Reddit Promised Russia Probe Cooperation—Then Gave Nothing

Reddit’s CEO said the ‘front page of the Internet’ is working with Congress to uncover Russian propaganda. But it’s turned over no material to investigators.

Ben Collins

What It Sounds Like When Dove Dries

Instagram’s Slime Stars Pivot to Soap

Videos of teens carving, melting, and even dissolving soap are ‘having a moment’ among teens looking to de-stress on the internet. And somehow, the Russians have an advantage.

Taylor Lorenz

‘Kidnapped for Their Melanin’

The Russian Troll Tumblr Post So Stupid It Went Viral

None of the troll-farm posts earned as much mockery across the web as Hustle in a Trap’s conspiracy theory about black people being kidnapped and ‘consumed’ for nearly $30 million.

Ben Collins

‘Own Dysfunction’

Reddit Rises Up Against CEO for Hiding Russian Trolls

He ‘fessed up days after The Daily Beast confirmed a Russian troll farm had used his platform, and on the same day that Senate investigators asked for new information from the site

Ben Collins

Ben Collins

Disinformation is the New Normal

Reddit Promised Russia Probe Cooperation—Then Gave Nothing

Instagram’s Slime Stars Pivot to Soap

The Russian Troll Tumblr Post So Stupid It Went Viral

Reddit Rises Up Against CEO for Hiding Russian Trolls

Russians Used Reddit and Tumblr to Troll the 2016 Election

Leaked: Secret Documents From Russia’s Election Trolls

Oath Cancels Show Starring Muslim-Hater’s Daughters

The Instagram Stars Hiding Their Famous, Muslim-Hating Mom

Experts: The Myth of Video Games Making Killers Is ‘Nuts’