Latest news with #Elves
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Bulgaria cyber 'elves' fight Kremlin and cruelty
Petkov, a Bulgarian software developer and system architect, poses for a portrait in Kyiv. He is the only public face of the 'BG Elves', a Bulgarian group of around 70 anonymous cyber security experts, which gained prominence for revealing Russian interference in the country, including via disinformation campaigns. Most recently, the group helped an animal rights NGO uncover evidence that led to the arrest of a woman and a man accused of brutally torturing hundreds of animals to death and selling videos of it online. — AFP SOFIA, Bulgaria: A Bulgarian group of dozens of cyber activists at first clubbed together to battle Russian disinformation, but they have since found other foes – like animal abusers. They call themselves the BG Elves, which both refers to the kind-hearted characters of Scandinavian mythology and hints at a rivalry with the Internet's malicious trolls. The collective of about 70 anonymous cyber security experts have made a name for themselves by creating problems for their adversaries. One of their latest efforts was helping an animal rights NGO uncover evidence that led to the March arrest of a woman and a man accused of selling videos online of hundreds of animals being tortured to death. "Our work was crucial, because for the first time a crime was solved in Bulgaria based on OSINT data, proving that our efforts can produce concrete results," software developer Petko Petkov, the Elves' only public face, told AFP. OSINT refers to open-source intelligence, which is information gathered with digital investigation techniques like reverse image search and geolocation. In the summer of 2024, the NGO alerted the cyber sleuths to videos posted on Telegram of a masked woman torturing animals. The Elves tracked her down within hours. Using OSINT, they were also able to trace the locations where the videos of cats, rabbits and guinea pigs being tortured on camera were filmed by her accomplice. The videos sparked widespread protests in Bulgaria, and prompted the government to propose emergency legislation. 'Counter-propaganda' Set up in 2023 in response to pro-Kremlin disinformation flooding Bulgaria, the group first zeroed in on the key players involved in the campaigns. "There were about 10 of us in a chat group, we refined the concept, then put out a call for volunteers," Petkov told AFP about the group's founding. They have grown significantly since and include experts in cyber security, social engineering and databases. "We are not hackers, we are researchers," said Petkov, 37, who moved from central Bulgaria to Kyiv shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Dedicated to activism, the Elves try to fight the deluge of disinformation by disseminating "counter-propaganda that makes people think", he said. "We noticed that a (disinfo) narrative... takes some time to reach people. Our idea was to flood the space with humour and irony before the propaganda takes hold," said Petkov. Recently, they launched a viral meme campaign targeting the main false claims about Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone, distributing the content through profiles embedded within major disinformation networks. In March, BG Elves supported a Romanian journalist in an investigation that exposed a Russia-linked disinformation and propaganda network funded through online advertising. 'More serious' cases In the wake of the recent arrests, Bulgaria proposed a bill in parliament, which allows for higher prison terms of up to 10 years for torturing animals. Nearly 300 people have been convicted of such offences in the last five years, but few end up in prison. Petya Altimirska, president of the animal welfare association CAAI, who had reached out to the Elves for help in the abuse case, has since received numerous reports of "even more serious" cases, adding that the cyber sleuths are already "on it". While the group was praised for exposing the animal abuse, it has also faced criticism and numerous threats for its provocative approach and alleged political bias. – AFP
Kuwait Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Bulgaria cyber ‘elves' fight Kremlin, cruelty
SOFIA: A Bulgarian group of dozens of cyber activists at first clubbed together to battle Russian disinformation, but they have since found other foes - like animal abusers. They call themselves the BG Elves, which both refers to the kind-hearted characters of Scandinavian mythology and hints at a rivalry with the internet's malicious trolls. The collective of about 70 anonymous cyber security experts have made a name for themselves by creating problems for their adversaries. One of their latest efforts was helping an animal rights NGO uncover evidence that led to the March arrest of a woman and a man accused of selling videos online of hundreds of animals being tortured to death. 'Our work was crucial, because for the first time a crime was solved in Bulgaria based on OSINT data, proving that our efforts can produce concrete results,' software developer Petko Petkov, the Elves' only public face, told AFP. OSINT refers to open-source intelligence, which is information gathered with digital investigation techniques like reverse image search and geolocation. In the summer of 2024, the NGO alerted the cyber sleuths to videos posted on Telegram of a masked woman torturing animals. The Elves tracked her down within hours. Using OSINT, they were also able to trace the locations where the videos of cats, rabbits and guinea pigs being tortured on camera were filmed by her accomplice. The videos sparked widespread protests in Bulgaria, and prompted the government to propose emergency legislation. 'Counter-propaganda' Set up in 2023 in response to pro-Kremlin disinformation flooding Bulgaria, the group first zeroed in on the key players involved in the campaigns. 'There were about 10 of us in a chat group, we refined the concept, then put out a call for volunteers,' Petkov told AFP about the group's founding. They have grown significantly since and include experts in cyber security, social engineering and databases. 'We are not hackers, we are researchers,' said Petkov, 37, who moved from central Bulgaria to Kyiv shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Dedicated to activism, the Elves try to fight the deluge of disinformation by disseminating 'counter-propaganda that makes people think', he said. 'We noticed that a (disinfo) narrative... takes some time to reach people. Our idea was to flood the space with humor and irony before the propaganda takes hold,' said Petkov. Recently, they launched a viral meme campaign targeting the main false claims about Bulgaria's accession to the euro-zone, distributing the content through profiles embedded within major disinformation networks. In March, BG Elves supported a Romanian journalist in an investigation that exposed a Russia-linked disinformation and propaganda network funded through online advertising. 'More serious' cases In the wake of the recent arrests, Bulgaria proposed a bill in parliament, which allows for higher prison terms of up to 10 years for torturing animals. Nearly 300 people have been convicted of such offences in the last five years, but few end up in prison. Petya Altimirska, president of the animal welfare association CAAI, who had reached out to the Elves for help in the abuse case, has since received numerous reports of 'even more serious' cases, adding that the cyber sleuths are already 'on it'. While the group was praised for exposing the animal abuse, it has also faced criticism and numerous threats for its provocative approach and alleged political bias. — AFP
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bulgaria cyber 'elves' fight Kremlin and cruelty
Representative AI image SOFIA: A Bulgarian group of dozens of cyber activists at first clubbed together to battle Russian disinformation, but they have since found other foes like animal abusers. They call themselves the BG Elves, which both refers to the kind-hearted characters of Scandinavian mythology and hints at a rivalry with the internet's malicious trolls. The collective of about 70 anonymous cyber security experts have made a name for themselves by creating problems for their adversaries. One of their latest efforts was helping an animal rights NGO uncover evidence that led to the March arrest of a woman and a man accused of selling videos online of hundreds of animals being tortured to death. "Our work was crucial, because for the first time a crime was solved in Bulgaria based on OSINT data, proving that our efforts can produce concrete results," software developer Petko Petkov, the Elves' only public face. OSINT refers to open-source intelligence, which is information gathered with digital investigation techniques like reverse image search and geolocation. In the summer of 2024, the NGO alerted the cyber sleuths to videos posted on Telegram of a masked woman torturing animals. The Elves tracked her down within hours. Using OSINT, they were also able to trace the locations where the videos of cats, rabbits and guinea pigs being tortured on camera were filmed by her accomplice. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esta nueva alarma con cámara es casi regalada en Santa Lucia (ver precio) Verisure Undo The videos sparked widespread protests in Bulgaria, and prompted the government to propose emergency legislation. Set up in 2023 in response to pro-Kremlin disinformation flooding Bulgaria, the group first zeroed in on the key players involved in the campaigns. "There were about 10 of us in a chat group, we refined the concept, then put out a call for volunteers," Petkov says about the group's founding. They have grown significantly since and include experts in cyber security, social engineering and databases. "We are not hackers, we are researchers," said Petkov, 37, who moved from central Bulgaria to Kyiv shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Dedicated to activism, the Elves try to fight the deluge of disinformation by disseminating "counter-propaganda that makes people think", he said. "We noticed that a (disinfo) narrative... takes some time to reach people. Our idea was to flood the space with humour and irony before the propaganda takes hold," said Petkov. Recently, they launched a viral meme campaign targeting the main false claims about Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone, distributing the content through profiles embedded within major disinformation networks. In March, BG Elves supported a Romanian journalist in an investigation that exposed a Russia-linked disinformation and propaganda network funded through online advertising. In the wake of the recent arrests, Bulgaria proposed a bill in parliament, which allows for higher prison terms of up to 10 years for torturing animals. Nearly 300 people have been convicted of such offences in the last five years, but few end up in prison. Petya Altimirska, president of the animal welfare association CAAI, who had reached out to the Elves for help in the abuse case, has since received numerous reports of "even more serious" cases, adding that the cyber sleuths are already "on it". While the group was praised for exposing the animal abuse, it has also faced criticism and numerous threats for its provocative approach and alleged political bias.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Bulgaria cyber ‘elves' fight Kremlin and cruelty
SOFIA, BULGARIA: A Bulgarian group of dozens of cyber activists at first clubbed together to battle Russian disinformation, but they have since found other foes -- like animal abusers. They call themselves the BG Elves, which both refers to the kind-hearted characters of Scandinavian mythology and hints at a rivalry with the internet's malicious trolls. The collective of about 70 anonymous cyber security experts have made a name for themselves by creating problems for their adversaries. One of their latest efforts was helping an animal rights NGO uncover evidence that led to the March arrest of a woman and a man accused of selling videos online of hundreds of animals being tortured to death. 'Our work was crucial, because for the first time a crime was solved in Bulgaria based on OSINT data, proving that our efforts can produce concrete results,' software developer Petko Petkov, the Elves' only public face, told AFP. OSINT refers to open-source intelligence, which is information gathered with digital investigation techniques like reverse image search and geolocation. In the summer of 2024, the NGO alerted the cyber sleuths to videos posted on Telegram of a masked woman torturing animals. The Elves tracked her down within hours. Using OSINT, they were also able to trace the locations where the videos of cats, rabbits and guinea pigs being tortured on camera were filmed by her accomplice. The videos sparked widespread protests in Bulgaria, and prompted the government to propose emergency legislation. - 'Counter-propaganda' - Set up in 2023 in response to pro-Kremlin disinformation flooding Bulgaria, the group first zeroed in on the key players involved in the campaigns. 'There were about 10 of us in a chat group, we refined the concept, then put out a call for volunteers,' Petkov told AFP about the group's founding. They have grown significantly since and include experts in cyber security, social engineering and databases. 'We are not hackers, we are researchers,' said Petkov, 37, who moved from central Bulgaria to Kyiv shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Dedicated to activism, the Elves try to fight the deluge of disinformation by disseminating 'counter-propaganda that makes people think', he said. 'We noticed that a (disinfo) narrative... takes some time to reach people. Our idea was to flood the space with humour and irony before the propaganda takes hold,' said Petkov. Recently, they launched a viral meme campaign targeting the main false claims about Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone, distributing the content through profiles embedded within major disinformation networks. In March, BG Elves supported a Romanian journalist in an investigation that exposed a Russia-linked disinformation and propaganda network funded through online advertising. - 'More serious' cases - In the wake of the recent arrests, Bulgaria proposed a bill in parliament, which allows for higher prison terms of up to 10 years for torturing animals. Nearly 300 people have been convicted of such offences in the last five years, but few end up in prison. Petya Altimirska, president of the animal welfare association CAAI, who had reached out to the Elves for help in the abuse case, has since received numerous reports of 'even more serious' cases, adding that the cyber sleuths are already 'on it'. While the group was praised for exposing the animal abuse, it has also faced criticism and numerous threats for its provocative approach and alleged political bias.
Winnipeg Free Press
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Discounts offered for musicians to send tunes to campus stations
Local musicians can save some serious dough when sending their work to community radio stations across the country via a new grant program from online distribution platform Earshot. Until Jan. 31, 2026, artist-members of Manitoba Music will have access to a 50 per cent discount code when uploading their music to the Earshot platform, allowing the work to reach the distributor's network of 120 member stations from the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA). Digital distribution costs through Earshot are typically $7 per song or $50 per album, plus applicable taxes, says Eloisa Veliz, Earshot's marketing and outreach co-ordinator. The MAPL!e Grant discount code can be used as many times as artists want within the allotted period, allowing artists to upload their back catalogs or newly released projects at the discounted price. Sheinina Raj and Raissa Bado photo Kelly Bado is part of the lineup for the inaugural Village Music Fest. Since 2018, through its digital distribution system, Earshot has aimed to streamline the process for Canadian musicians to get their work searched, reviewed and downloaded by campus and community stations for broadcast across Canada. Michael Elves, the program director for 101.5 UMFM, says the end of the era of receiving physical copies of new releases was hastened by the pandemic; of every 100 projects the station receives, about 10 are physical media, as opposed to about 40 prior to the pandemic. However, the output of artists hasn't slowed: by Tuesday, Elves says, he had already received 56 records to review for station use, not including singles. The digital distribution hub, though still not free, is comparatively more affordable than commercial options, which can cost over $500, says Veliz. Physical mailers, which artists used to rely on to reach stations across the country, have both a prohibitive per-unit cost and an environmental impact, the distributor says. By allowing artists to self-identify according to specific genres, the program also allows for targeted discovery by programmers, Veliz adds. Earshot last offered its grant program from August 2023 to February 2024. During that period, the discount codes were used 322 times nationally, with just over $2,800 granted to artists to partially cover distribution costs. Manitoban artists only used the discount code 15 times, for a total savings of $117, according to Earshot statistics. UMFM's Elves says the Earshot program centralizes distribution across campus and community stations, levelling the playing field for artists who can't afford publicists or who are releasing their work without the support of a label. Earshot's charts, which aggregate airplay statistics from NCRA stations, including UMFM, provide a national snapshot of listening habits on 'It's a good, diverse reflection of what's happening in Canada,' says Elves. Last week, Canadian artists in the top 10 included Destroyer (1), Marie Davidson (2), Art D'Ecco (3), Men I Trust (4) Cootie Catcher (5), Sister Ray (6), Saya Gray (7), Ribbon Skirt (8), Bells Larsen (9) and Bria Salmena (10). Top Manitoban artists included Jimmie Kilpatrick (16), Propagandhi (18) and the P.E.I.-based the Burning Hell (29), featuring former Winnipegger Mathias Kom. On the specialty Jazz chart, the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra's East Meets West: Connections is holding down the 10th spot. With At Peace, Propagandhi tops the Loud charts. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. June 27 and 28 with more than 30 musical performances across six venues, as well as interactive public art installations. Kicking off on Canadian Multiculturalism Day and ahead of Canada Day, the event is billed as a celebration of national diversity and is co-organized by the Osborne Village BIZ, Real Love and the Village Idiots. The lineup includes local and Canadian acts including Kelly Bado, Jérémie and the Delicious Hounds, Fontine, Dirty Catfish Brass Band, Cartel Madras and Kimmortal. Entertainment runs Friday from 8:30 p.m. to midnight and Saturday from 1 p.m. to midnight. Venues include the Osborne Taphouse, the Toad in the Hole Pub, Must Be the Place, ANAF Club 60, Small Mercies and the outdoor Bell Tower park. Visit for more information. Ben WaldmanReporter Ben Waldman is a National Newspaper Award-nominated reporter on the Arts & Life desk at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Ben completed three internships with the Free Press while earning his degree at Ryerson University's (now Toronto Metropolitan University's) School of Journalism before joining the newsroom full-time in 2019. Read more about Ben. Every piece of reporting Ben produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
