Craig Silverman
Craig Silverman was a reporter at ProPublica from 2021-2025. He covered tech platforms, scams, fraud and online manipulation.
Background
Prior to joining ProPublica, Silverman was the media editor of BuzzFeed News. He was also a fellow at Columbia’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism and the editor of the European Journalism Centre’s Verification Handbook series, which offers guidance on verifying digital content and investigating media manipulation. Silverman is also the author of two nonfiction books: “Mafiaboy,” about a teenage hacker, and “Regret The Error,” a history of fact-checking and media errors.
He received a George Polk Award for a series that revealed how Facebook exposes the public to disinformation, fraud and violence. He also won two SABEW Best in Business awards for an investigation of Google’s digital ad business. His work has also been honored by the Mirror Awards, Canadian Association of Journalists and the American Political Science Association.
Google Allowed a Sanctioned Russian Ad Company to Harvest User Data for Months
The internet giant may have provided Sberbank-owned RuTarget with unique mobile phone IDs, IP addresses, location information and details about users’ interests and online activity.
Google Says It Bans Gun Ads. It Actually Makes Money From Them.
The tech giant has long boasted that it doesn’t accept ads for firearms, but a ProPublica analysis shows that Google’s ad systems served up more than 100 million ads from gun-makers.
Infamous Russian Troll Farm Appears to Be Source of Anti-Ukraine Propaganda
Experts say a recent wave of pro-Putin disinformation is consistent with the work of Russia’s Internet Research Agency, a network of paid trolls who attempted to influence the 2016 presidential election.
In the Ukraine Conflict, Fake Fact-Checks Are Being Used to Spread Disinformation
Social media posts debunking purported Ukrainian disinformation are themselves fake. That doesn’t stop them from being featured on Russian state TV.
Facebook Hosted Surge of Misinformation and Threats Leading Up to Jan. 6 Attack
A ProPublica/Washington Post analysis provides the clearest evidence yet that the social media giant played a critical role in spreading lies that fomented the violence.
How Steve Bannon Has Exploited Google Ads to Monetize Extremism
Google kicked Bannon off YouTube because of his violent rhetoric but still sent ad dollars to his website that promotes misinformation about the election and the pandemic.
How to Avoid Being Scammed on Facebook Marketplace
From suspiciously low prices to sellers who demand payment in gift cards, there are multiple warning signs a Marketplace listing might be fraudulent.
Facebook Grew Marketplace to 1 Billion Users. Now Scammers Are Using It to Target People Around the World.
ProPublica identified thousands of Marketplace listings and profiles that broke the company’s rules, revealing how Facebook failed to safeguard users.
How Facebook Undermines Privacy Protections for Its 2 Billion WhatsApp Users
WhatsApp assures users that no one can see their messages — but the company has an extensive monitoring operation and regularly shares personal information with prosecutors.