April 2026, Claims Identification on Arbiter, Fast Forward, and three investigations

Over the past four years, working alongside journalists, fact-checkers, and civil society organizations, one question has consistently come up: can fact-checking be automated?

In our experience, the answer is more nuanced. Fact-checking is not only about identifying claims, but about understanding context, tracing sources, and making informed judgments. While automation can support this process, human expertise remains essential.

Today, we are taking a step forward.

We are introducing claims identification and sourcing on Arbiter (beta), now available to our current users. This feature helps journalists surface claims that are reaching large audiences, identify credible sources discussing those claims, and quickly understand the context around both the claim and its coverage. Our goal is simple: reduce the time it takes to move from signal to investigation, without compromising on rigor.

We are providing early access to journalists and newsrooms working to investigate online narratives across social media platforms. If this is relevant to your work, please reach out to us.

SimPPL has been selected for the Fast Forward 2026 cohort, alongside leading AI nonprofits working on global challenges. We presented Arbiter at the NYU Center for Social Media and Politics, and are supporting ongoing research on online transparency and information ecosystems. Our co-founder, Dhara Mungra, is now based in Germany, teaching AI product development at the University of Mannheim with a focus on newsroom collaboration across regions. Our co-founder, Swapneel Mehta, led sessions with students at Dwarkadas J. Sanghvi College of Engineering and ITM University on research and online safety in the age of AI.

The conversation around H-1B visas is shifting, and it is about more than just tech jobs. Our latest Arbiter analysis reveals how policy changes are sparking heated debates across Twitter. The Push for Reform: High-profile figures like Ron DeSantis and groups like USTechWorkers are driving a narrative focused on overhauling the current system, questioning its impact on the domestic workforce. The Operational Gridlock: It's not just policy — it is a process. A major portion of the conversation is dedicated to interview cancellations, vetting delays, and bureaucratic hurdles that are creating uncertainty for workers and companies alike. The Unseen Impact: The debate has moved into unexpected territory: Healthcare. A growing thread of discussion connects H-1B visa fees to rural healthcare access, highlighting how immigration policy is rippling through local communities. From Silicon Valley boardrooms to rural hospitals, see how the H-1B narrative is evolving.

Gambling, betting, and crypto trading discussions are surging across social platforms, but the tone and focus shift dramatically depending on where you look. We analyzed the key themes shaping the conversation. Awareness & Harm: Twitter leads with campaigns highlighting the dangers of gambling addiction, featuring personal recovery stories and regulatory critiques. YouTube hosts in-depth documentaries. Profit-Focused Discourse: Bluesky and Twitter are hubs for profit-focused discussions, with influencers sharing market analysis, risk management strategies, and success stories — 65% of posts emphasize potential gains. Strategy & Tutorials: YouTube dominates with visual tutorials and prediction models. Communities are refining strategies collaboratively, comparing platforms, and sharing betting experiences. Scam Identification: YouTube and Twitter focus on scam identification, victim support, and calls for regulatory reform. Crypto-focused scam discussions are rising on Bluesky. The discourse is split between risk mitigation (addiction, scams) and risk optimization (strategies, signals), with little overlap between communities.

Conversations linked to the manosphere are increasingly centered on broader questions of masculinity, identity, and social roles. Our analysis shows that rather than being driven by a single event, this discourse unfolds as an ongoing debate about how men navigate changing cultural expectations. The dominant thread focuses on evolving male identity dynamics, with discussions around masculinity, relationships, and societal expectations. Adjacent themes such as social connectivity and identity and social justice and cultural dynamics extend the conversation into community-building and culture-driven debates. Sub-groups including digital communities, spirituality-linked masculinity, and dating dynamics add layers to the discourse. High-engagement narratives are often tied to event-driven controversies and culture-war topics, while certain clusters show more grievance-oriented or adversarial framing, particularly around gender relations. Rather than a fringe phenomenon, these conversations are mainstreaming — and understanding their structure is essential for anyone tracking online polarization.