Gisela Pérez de Acha

Gisela Pérez de Acha

@giselilla.bsky.social

Open Source Investigative Reporter. Founder and CEO of FactFinder. Formerly teaching OSINT at UC Berkeley. Mexicana. Polyglot. Nerd. More at www.giselaperezdeacha.com

1.4K followers510 following194 posts

Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

We combined OSINT with traditional reporting to get this kind of detail. Today we published a story that is not very common in the Brazilian Amazon: Black and Indigenous communities that kicked out a palm oil company from what used to be their traditional land, and won.

Guardian Environment@environment.theguardian.com

Blockades, checkpoints and court action: fending off Brazil’s biofuel giants in the Amazon

theguardian.comBlockades, checkpoints and court action: fending off Brazil’s biofuel giants in the AmazonAfter decades of violent displacement and land theft, the country’s quilombola communities are fighting back

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

Human Rights Center
@hrcberkeley.bsky.social

1/5 Who pays the price for “clean” fuel? In Brazil’s Amazon, the palm oil biofuel boom has collided with quilombola communities who say the land is theirs. After decades of displacement, they’re fighting back. @theguardian.com🧵: www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

theguardian.comBlockades, checkpoints and court action: fending off Brazil’s biofuel giants in the AmazonAfter decades of violent displacement and land theft, the country’s quilombola communities are fighting back
Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

This week @eileenguo.bsky.social and I talked about our piece on the origins of “the censorship industrial complex” on @techpolicypress.bsky.social’s podcast. Listen here www.techpolicy.press/how-the-cens...

techpolicy.pressHow the 'Censorship-Industrial Complex' Narrative Went From Fringe to Trump PolicyA conversation with Eileen Guo and Gisela Perez de Acha, two of three authors of an MIT Technology Review feature digging into the impact of the narrative.

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

Anne Applebaum
@anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu

The belief in a non-existent "censorship industrial complex" now shapes American foreign policy. A brilliant deep dive from the MIT Technology Review www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/07/1...

technologyreview.comHow ideas of a vast censorship network moved from the online fringe to Trump policyNarratives about a “censorship-industrial complex” spread in right-wing circles for years; then they took hold of Washington. What—and who—is behind them?
Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

New story with @eileenguo.bsky.social + @cargocultscientist.bsky.social tracing the origins of the “censorship-industrial complex”: the idea that the right is being heavily censored online www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/07/1... via @technologyreview.com and @typeinvestigations.org

technologyreview.comHow ideas of a vast censorship network moved from the online fringe to Trump policyNarratives about a “censorship-industrial complex” spread in right-wing circles for years; then they took hold of Washington. What—and who—is behind them?

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

Eileen Guo (is on leave for rest of 2026)
@eileenguo.bsky.social

W/ith @giselilla.bsky.social + @cargocultscientist.bsky.social, I delved into the origins of the “censorship-industrial complex” idea, how it went from the fringes of the online right to a driver of Trump2 policy, + what it means for the Internet. www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/07/1...

technologyreview.comHow ideas of a vast censorship network moved from the online fringe to Trump policyNarratives about a “censorship-industrial complex” spread in right-wing circles for years; then they took hold of Washington. What—and who—is behind them?

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

Bellingcat
@bellingcat.com

We’re back with a brand-new Bellingcat Open Source Challenge! This month they were created by a guest contributor who has manipulated a series of images. Can you spot what has been edited? Try them here: Challenge.bellingcat.com

Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

Spots for the OSINT Summit are flying fast. Join me and Haley Willis (former Visual Investigations at the NYT, one of the best out there) We'll cover cartels on social media, bombings and disinfo. Four days + recordings for only $99 USD Register here gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.com/osint_summit

gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.comFactFinder OSINT SummitFour days of live OSINT training for journalists, lawyers, and researchers who already know the basics. War, conflict, and disinformation. July 14–17.

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

Spots for the OSINT Summit are flying fast. Join me and Haley Willis (former Visual Investigations at the NYT, one of the best out there) We'll cover cartels on social media, bombings and disinfo. Four days + recordings for only $99 USD Register here gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.com/osint_summit

gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.comFactFinder OSINT SummitFour days of live OSINT training for journalists, lawyers, and researchers who already know the basics. War, conflict, and disinformation. July 14–17.

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

I’m so excited to finally make this public! Teaching a four-day Online OSINT Summit with the incredible Haley Willis (former Visual Investigations at the NYT) We’ll cover how to investigate bombings, disinfo and cartels Info and registration here 👉🏼 gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.com/osint_summit

gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.comFactFinder OSINT SummitFour days of live OSINT training for journalists, lawyers, and researchers who already know the basics. War, conflict, and disinformation. July 14–17.

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

Runa Sandvik
@runasand.bsky.social

Incredibly excited to attend this four-day OSINT course by @giselilla.bsky.social and Haley Willis next month! Check out the page for details and to sign-up. The course will cover tools for investigating bombings, cartels, and disinfo. gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.com/osint_summit

gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.comFactFinder OSINT SummitFour days of live OSINT training for journalists, lawyers, and researchers who already know the basics. War, conflict, and disinformation. July 14–17.
Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

I’m so excited to finally make this public! Teaching a four-day Online OSINT Summit with the incredible Haley Willis (former Visual Investigations at the NYT) We’ll cover how to investigate bombings, disinfo and cartels Info and registration here 👉🏼 gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.com/osint_summit

gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.comFactFinder OSINT SummitFour days of live OSINT training for journalists, lawyers, and researchers who already know the basics. War, conflict, and disinformation. July 14–17.
Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

I'm teaching an Online OSINT Summit with the amazing Haley Willis (former NYT OSINT reporter). This is for folks who want to level up their war & conflict research skills. Get better bylines, better clients, better pay. Details and tickets here gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.com/osint_summit

gisela-perez-de-acha.mykajabi.comFactFinder OSINT SummitFour days of live OSINT training for journalists, lawyers, and researchers who already know the basics. War, conflict, and disinformation. July 14–17.
Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

This viz is awesome

Simon Proud@simonsat.bsky.social

Dual use: If we like it or not, all civilian sats have defence-related uses. This video shows the Russian Arctic Metagaz LNG carrier exploding after reportedly being hit by Ukranian drones. It comes from @eumetsat.int's Meteosat-12, a weather satellite. Weather is civil, but we see so much more.

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

GeoConfirmed
@geoconfirmed.org

Geoconfirmed Iran. We mapped over 100 locations in the last 48 hours. Visit our map: each pin includes the related footage and its verified geolocation when you click on it. geoconfirmed.org/iran For the BlueSky community, tag us in GeoLocations, they will be added to the map.

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

Tomi McCluskey
@tomi-mcc.bsky.social

"One was a fisherman struggling to eke out a living on $100 a month. Another was a career criminal. A third was a former military cadet. And a fourth was a down-on-his-luck bus driver." The AP ID's four of the alleged narcoterrorist killed in early US maritime strikes. apnews.com/article/trum...

apnews.comTrump has accused boat crews of being narco-terrorists. The truth, AP found, is more nuancedOne was a fisherman struggling to eke out a living on $100 a month. Another was a career criminal. A third was a former military cadet.

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

Kate Linthicum
@kate-linthicum.bsky.social

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was groped Tuesday by a man on the street who kissed her neck and touched her chest. “If they do this to the president," she said, "what must happen to all the young women women?" She's calling for new measures to end harassment www.latimes.com/world-nation...

latimes.comMexico's president was groped on the street. Now she's waging war on rampant sexual harassmentClaudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's first female president, is pushing measures against sexual harassment after she was groped by a stranger on the street.

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

PEN America
@penamerica.bsky.social

If you’re a journalist or newsroom leader concerned about safety, join PEN America and the Coalition Against Online Violence’s free webinar, Leading the Way: Building Safer Newsrooms, on Nov. 13th at 12pm ET. (1/2)

Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

Worth a read

Angie Rasmussen@angierasmussen.bsky.social

If you’re wondering how much of what RFK Jr said yesterday about vaccines was true—almost none of it was. @FullerLab_UW is one of the most accomplished vaccinologists out there and her article is required reading to separate truth from falsehoods. theconversation.com/how-rfk-jr-s...

theconversation.comHow RFK Jr.’s misguided science on mRNA vaccines is shaping policy − a vaccine expert examines the false claimsChaos at the CDC and the sharp move away from mRNA vaccines has public health experts alarmed.
Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

Oh wowwwwww

Jon Passantino@passantino.bsky.social

A judge ordered the sale of Alex Jones Infowars today, clearing the way for The Onion to renew its attempt to buy the notorious conspiracy-fueled empire. "We’re working on it," @bencollins.bsky.social tells @status.news www.status.news/p/washington...

Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

"Officials fear that Latin American drug cartels are among those who obtained sensitive court data due to a sweeping breach of the federal judiciary’s case filing system...be able to target cooperating witnesses involved in criminal trials against them." www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

politico.comCartels may be able to target witnesses after major court hackThere is growing concern that cartels and foreign actors could use the stolen data to identify informants and foil criminal probes.

Gisela Pérez de Acha reposted

Teddy Wilson
@reportbywilson.bsky.social

Christian Secor is White Supremacist and Groyper sentenced to 3-years for the Capitol Riot. Since being pardoned by Trump, Secor attended CPAC, appeared on White Supremacist neo-Nazi podcasts, and was revealed as the anonymous writer behind a book printed by a White Nationalist publishing house.

Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

Open source it for democracy! 💪🏼

UC Berkeley Journalism@berkeleyjournalism.bsky.social

New database just published by @latimes.com, @sfchronicle.com, @kqednews.kqed.org + CalMatters and built by Berkeley Journalism's IRP, @berkeleyengineer.bsky.social BIDS + @biglocalnews.bsky.social makes public 1.5 million pages of once-secret police records. journalism.berkeley.edu/police-recor...

journalism.berkeley.eduA new database on police use of force and misconduct in California makes public 1.5 million pages of once-secret police recordsFor Immediate Release August 4, 2025 Contact: Journalism@berkeley.edu A new database on police use of force and misconduct in California makes public 1.5 million pages of once-secret police records   ...
Gisela Pérez de Acha
@giselilla.bsky.social

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Michael Bolden@mbolden.bsky.social

Congratulations and thank you to the many people, programs and institutions that have brought the Police Records Access Project into being. This represents the best of journalism, hard work, collaboration and service to the communities in which we live. journalism.berkeley.edu/police-recor...

journalism.berkeley.eduA new database on police use of force and misconduct in California makes public 1.5 million pages of once-secret police recordsFor Immediate Release August 4, 2025 Contact: Journalism@berkeley.edu A new database on police use of force and misconduct in California makes public 1.5 million pages of once-secret police records   ...