Da gruppi di Yoga su Telegram alla Cybersecurity: Come sono diventata Astroturfer e perché oggi studio Counterintelligence by Paola Blondet

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🇮🇹 My experience as an improvised Astroturfer

When we talk about Astroturfing, we mean a manipulative communicative practice: creating the illusion of a popular consensus around an idea or a movement, when in reality everything is orchestrated by organized groups. I myself found myself, almost by chance, playing this role in some groups on Telegram.

At first, I was simply a guest on yoga groups on social networks, places that seemed harmless and dedicated to wellness. But from there a misadventure began: I encountered opaque networks that connected Italian, Russian and South Asian environments (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan). These networks weren't limited to Telegram – they also manifested themselves in real life.

I had to bring all these groups out into the open, because I myself was a victim of cyberbullying, laming and hacking attempts. Despite my kindness and availability. So I impersonated and pretended to support their propaganda, discovering that many of those users were already physically present in my city or nearby. But deleting logs, using VPNs and camouflage, still remains difficult to denounce today.

And while Telegram's NoSQL Cassandra keeps my data in its databases, after three long years of Astroturfing – which began four years ago – I find myself with hybrid Italian, Indian and Russian networks in my vicinity monitoring what I know. Unfortunately, using camouflage in turn, it is very difficult to do anything concrete to stop them.

But I will not remain silent. I will scream my experience and show who I really am.

That experience was born from a certain naivety of mine, but today it was a turning point for me. I was born as a humanist, with a degree in languages, but it was from that episode that I learned a lot about international geopolitics. This is why today I am interested in counterintelligence and cybersecurity: because I have seen how digital manipulation can be intertwined with everyday reality.

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🇬🇧 My experience as an improvised Astroturfer

When we talk about Astroturfing, we mean a manipulative communication practice: creating the illusion of grassroots support for an idea or movement, when in reality it is orchestrated by organized groups. I unexpectedly found myself playing this role in some Telegram groups.

At first, I was simply a guest in Yoga groups, spaces that seemed harmless and dedicated to well-being. But from there began a misadventure: I encountered opaque networks connecting Italian, Russian, and South-East Asian environments (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan). These networks did not remain confined to Telegram: they appeared in real life too.

I had to expose all these groups because I myself was a victim of cyberbullying, laming, and hacking attempts — directly, personally. Despite my kindness and willingness to engage.  

So I impersonated and pretended to support their propaganda, only to discover that many of those users were already physically present in my city or nearby. Yet by deleting logs, using VPNs, and masking their identities, they remain extremely difficult to report.

And while Telegram’s NoSQL Cassandra holds my data deep in its databases, three long years after my Astroturfing — which began four years ago — I now find myself surrounded by hybrid networks: Italian, Indian, and Russian actors monitoring what I know.  

Unfortunately, by using disguises themselves, it's still incredibly hard to take concrete action to stop them.

But I will not stay silent. I will shout my experience. I will show who I truly am.

That experience was born from a certain naïveté of mine — but today, it has become a turning point for me. 

 I was trained as a humanist, with a degree in languages, but from that episode I learned a great deal about international geopolitics. It is the reason why today I am deeply interested in counterintelligence and cybersecurity: because I have seen how digital manipulation can intertwine with everyday reality.

https://trovatella.github.io/-Memorie-dal-Villaggio-MSN/

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By Paola Blondet – The Digital Foundling

© 2025 Paola Blondet – Tutti i diritti riservati.
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