Online discourse about migrants and asylum seekers has become overwhelmingly negative in Germany, defined by inflammatory and misleading language, and the mainstreaming of harmful conspiracy theories such as the 'Great Replacement'.
India’s upcoming general elections are likely to hand the Hindu nationalist Bharata Janata Party (BJP) a third term in office. This Dispatch examines Hindutva's use of divisive rhetoric and conspiracy theories ahead of the election.
Within seven hours of Iranian drones being launched towards Israel, misleading content received over 37 million views on X.
The pro-CCP network known as Spamouflage is a long-running and widespread but largely ineffective operation. However, there is evidence that the network is now experimenting with new ways to increase their influence.
Pro-Kremlin actors have exploited the attack on Crocus City Hall to blame Ukraine and the West, even though the Islamic State’s ‘Khorasan Province’ (ISKP) claimed responsibility for it. This Dispatch analyses online messages from pro-Kremlin actors in Russian, German and Italian.
In the wake of the Crocus City Hall attack outside of Moscow, ISD analysed how the bodycam-style video of the attack spread across X, reaching 59.9 million views in 48 hours.
Drag Queen Story Hour events across Australia continue to face targeted harassment and intimidation by fringe groups, partially driven by transphobic and homophobic conspiracy theories imported from overseas. Councils, performers, venues and organisers need more support to respond.
Protests in Germany against far-right extremism and anti-democratic ambitions received widespread support earlier this year, but far-right alt media and Telegram channels are using disinformation and conspiracies to say otherwise.
The EU AI Act (AIA) is the world’s first comprehensive AI regulation that upholds democratic norms and human rights, ensures tech accountability, and prevents the spread of mis- and disinformation and its misuse by bad actors. However, some uncertainties around its implementation and enforcement remain.
ISD analyses the Facebook activity of 10 Islamic State alternative news outlets, their promotion of hijrah (immigration) to Africa and the welcomed efforts to sell the continent to a base accustomed to supporting the group's actions in Syria and Iraq.
In the five years since the Christchurch attack, the act of white supremacist terror has become the basis for a wave of copycats inspired by both its method and ideology. This Dispatch considers the significance of the attack and assesses the international policy response.
The flood of mis- and disinformation online following the death of Aaron Bushnell further underscores social platforms' challenges in dealing with false narratives in real-time.
Since October 7, there has been growing speculation about the evolving terrorism threat landscape. In this Dispatch, ISD reviews what we know and do not yet know about the changing UK terrorist threat.
In a recent ruling from Meta's Oversight Board looking into a violation of hate speech community standards, it was deemed that the “the fundamental issue in this case is not with the policies, but their enforcement.”
In view of the nationwide farmers’ protests in Germany, ISD found that some farmers who played a key role in organising the protests are linked to a larger conspiracy theorist and far-right network that goes beyond Germany.
The long-running influence campaign suspected to be run by the CCP and often referred to as ‘Spamouflage’ is already pivoting to focus on the expected competition between President Joe Biden and Republican forerunner Donald Trump.
Justin Mohn reportedly posted a video on YouTube where he attempts to justify the murder of his father, a retired engineer for the US Army Corps of Engineers, explaining his ideological beliefs and listing perceived enemies including federal officials, "illegal immigrants", LGBTQ+ communities and more.
The US may be on track for a repeat of the 2020 elections, this time with the added complexity of various movements and institutions that have spent years manipulating public discourse and organizing. Is US society prepared?
After surveying German views toward the war in Ukraine, ISD identified a strong correlation between the type of media respondents consume and trust (traditional vs social media) and their attitudes towards the conflict.
This dispatch analyses how the Israel-Hamas war is being weaponised by pro-Kremlin actors targeting German audience.
ISD urges for the adoption of robust US regulations, akin to those in the EU, UK and Australia, to establish minimum safety standards for online platforms, safeguarding young users effectively.
Using social media accounts set up as minors’ accounts, ISD examined the availability of content glorifying mass casualty shooters for minor users across TikTok, Discord, Roblox, Telegram and X.
Following recent "swatting" attacks against political figures in the US, ISD's Jared Holt and DFRLab's Meghan Conroy urge due consideration before jumping to conclusions about the motivations behind these attacks.
Islamic State's al-Bayan FM radio station, although bombed off the airwaves half a decade ago, remains alive on social media. ISD found 167 pages on Facebook and 156 videos on TikTok featuring branded al-Bayan radio content.
Following the recent antisemitic riots in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, Russian authorities blamed Ukraine and the West for fomenting tension. However, an ISD analysis of messages spread online in the weeks prior to the riots makes Kremlin’s claims look rather implausible.
This Dispatch introduces an anti-Muslim hate speech classifier developed in collaboration with CASM Technology and presents the findings of the classifier of the over 115,000 anti-Muslim comments identified in the aftermath of October 7.
This briefing analyses how various ideological groups have found common group in promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories and expressions post-Hamas' October 7 attacks in Israel.
This Dispatch explores how a pro-CCP influence campaign commonly known as 'Spamouflage' is capitalising on the Israel-Hamas conflict to spread anti-US sentiment.
Dieser Digital Dispatch untersucht die Verbreitung antifeministischer Weltbilder in deutschsprachigen Telegram-Kanälen von Rechtsextremen, Rechtsradikalen und Verschwörungsideolog:innen während der Fußball-WM 2022
This Dispatch explores German far-right anti-feminist discourses on Telegram based off their activity during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
ISD unveils a coordinated campaign by at least 64 accounts likely using content generated by ChatGPT to undermine support for Navalny, his associate and their organisation, the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF).
This analysis measures attitudes towards Ukraine among the top shared posts on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter, to understand potential changes over time as well as differences across geographies. The findings evidence an increasing penetration of anti-Ukraine rhetoric among highly engaged posts on Facebook and X.
ISD analysis the types of online antisemitism seen in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent conflict, in YouTube comments.
Der Terrorangriff der Hamas auf Israel am 7. Oktober hat auch in Deutschland extremistische Gruppierungen von verschiedenster Couleur auf den Plan gerufen.
Das ISD hat in diesem Digital Dispatch Online-Reaktionen von Links- und Rechtsextremist:innen, Islamist:innen sowie Verschwörungsideolog:innen auf den Konflikt gesammelt.
In this Dispatch, we explore the differences with comparing Hamas to ISIS when it comes to the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Similar to extremist landscapes around the world, in Germany, the far right, far left, Islamist extremists & conspiracy theorists, are all using the Israel-Hamas conflict to further polarize political debate. ISD analyses those responses & their potential real-world impact in our latest Dispatch.
Since the Israel-Hamas war started, far-right extremist networks in the UK have capitalised on the ongoing conflict and reduced the war into three simplistic narratives: anti-Muslim, antisemitic and anti-migration hostility.
Almost 13 years after his death, Osama bin Laden is trending on social media in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict because of his “Letter to America,” a 2002 screed that justified al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks on the US.
At the height of COVID-19, Wellness and New Age influencers shared anti-vaccine content, with many straying explicitly into conspiracies such as QAnon and becoming key conduits for "conspirituality." With the pandemic subsiding, conspirituality has not waned. ISD analyses how Wellness and New Age influencers are talking about climate.
Neo-Nazi accelerationists have been expressing support for the terrorist group Hamas ever since their October 7 attacks on Israel, converging on shared antisemitic ideologies in an attempt to recruit and radicalize for their own cause.
In light of the Israel-Hamas war, swathes of US news-seekers have turned to social media influencers for the latest updates on the conflict. However, they will find a cruel battlefield of another kind.
A broad range of Islamist extremists (including proscribed terrorist groups) have responded to Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza. Although there was uniform support for the Palestinians and condemnation of Israel, there were also key divergences across this broad spectrum of actors.
Following Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war that has erupted in the region, ISD has observed a disturbing 422% increase in language associated with anti-Muslim hate online.
While 'Stolz Monat' may be the German translation of Pride Month, it didn't become viral in support of the international celebration. Instead, far-right bloggers repurposed it for a campaign, which was later amplified by Germany's largest far-right party.
The 7 Oct Hamas attack in Israel has echoed a known pattern online, with ISD analysis finding a 50-fold increase in antisemitic comments on YouTube, as well as spikes on alt-tech platforms.
Iranian, Chinese and Russian officials, diplomatic representatives and state media are spinning the Israel-Hamas conflict to their benefit, often advancing anti-US, anti-Ukraine framing.
New research by ISD reveals violent and graphic content of the Gaza conflict is being served to minors' accounts on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, despite all platforms having clear policies and features designed to protect younger users from such content.
X [formerly Twitter] is an epicentre for content praising the attacks perpetrated by the Hamas-linked al-Qassem Brigades, generating millions of views in single 24-hour period, while escaping any moderation of any kind.
Russian state media's latest attempt, "Resistor Newswire," hasn't gained much traction despite 18+ months of operation. It’s just the latest attempt to be uncovered by ISD.
Twenty-two years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, ISD examines how online communities have turned the largest terror attack on United States soil into a perennial ‘shitposting’ rite of passage for Salafi-jihadist meme networks on mainstream social media platforms.
New research by ISD reveals TikTok has been profiting from ads that feature pro-Kremlin disinformation and conspiratorial narratives. Ads found via TikTok’s ‘Commercial Content Library’ also included content discrediting Ukraine and Ukrainians while glorifying the Russian invasion, and content that depicted the brutal mercenary Wagner group in a positive light.
ISD has released the third and final round of our video campaign in German, Arabic and Russian, aimed to counter pro-Kremlin mis- and disinformation targeting Ukrainian refugees in Germany.
New research by ISD reveals Meta has failed to remove recruitment content for the Wagner group, as well as posts celebrating its brutal activities in Ukraine and beyond, contradicting the company’s policies.
En un país con niveles de desconfianza inusualmente altos, los propios políticos y los medios de comunicación en España han entrado al juego rumbo a las elecciones generales del 23J.
For most people, the riots in France were a sign of social tensions boiling over amid the complex legacies of systemic injustice, socioeconomic inequities and biased policing. But for anyone following the crisis on Twitter, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a full-blown civil war.
In an unexpected turn of events, Spain is heading to the polls this Sunday. The campaign has been messy in a country with unusually high levels of public distrust— and the media and politicians have played right into it.
ISD’s CEO Sasha Havlicek, writes an op-ed underscoring the urgency of including provisions for data access in the UK’s Online Safety Bill, and emphasising the risks of failing to do so for the British public.
In the investigation, Elise Thomas found the latest example of Russian media successfully evading restrictions in order to reach Western audiences. This time targeting German-speaking audiences with short-form videos and even a podcast.
A new guest Digital Dispatch, authored by analysts from Human Digital, reveals that gore sites are being exploited by extremist groups as part of a broader strategy of decentralisation on the internet.
New research by ISD reveals how the Islamic State has been using TikTok to amplify propaganda undetected and without restriction constraints.
When analyzing potential protests associated with increasingly polarized subjects, it seems there is a recurring miscalculation in suspected hysteria. ISD outlines 6 factors for consideration when assessing turbulent online information environments and possible offline mobilization.
In this Dispatch, ISD looks into Islamist and Catholic extremists' use of Discord as a case study on smaller social media platforms and their greater role in online subcultures and extremism.
ISD identified online communities supportive of terrorism in Northern Ireland growing unnoticed across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Following Musk's interview with the BBC, and the ensuing debate around censorship and free speech, ISD's CEO, Sasha Havlicek, writes an op-ed addressing mischaracterization of the problems we face online and calling for improved transparency in relation to the social media platforms' algorithmic systems that distort the playing field for speech.
ISD's Jared Holt identifies three recurring narratives dissuading pro-Trump communities from acting on behalf of the former president in 2023.
ISD traced the reach of dozens of fringe climate-sceptic websites being shared on Twitter and found that highly followed climate-denying actors, pundits and outlets, were contributing to thousands of daily mentions.
New research from CASM Technology and ISD has found a major and sustained spike in antisemitic posts on Twitter since the company’s takeover by Elon Musk on October 27, 2022.
Footage from the Christchurch attack is available on TikTok, two years after research originally showed how easy it was to find.
Sydney's WorldPride was a huge success in most ways, but several concerning incidents propelled underscored the need for active monitoring of online mobilisation against LGBTQ+ people, and a better understanding of conspiracy communities, fringe religious groups and far right movements in this context.
ISD and CASM researchers found clear parallels between events surrounding Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase and the creation of thousands of new accounts which proceeded to immediately follow known abusive and misogynistic channels.
اثر الحرب في أوكرانيا علينا في كل العالم. وصل الينا الكثير من الأخبار بخصوص هذا الموضوع. وهذا يشمل التقارير المزيفة التي تحاول شحن الأجواء وتحريضنا ضد بعضنا البعض، وإثارة الحسد.
С помощью кампании #WirStattDesinformation мы хотим противодействовать ложной и искаженной информации, направленной против беженцев из Украины, которые сейчас живут в Германии.
Mit der Kampagne #WirStattDesinformation möchten wir falschen und manipulierten Inhalten entgegenwirken, die sich gegen in Deutschland lebende ukrainische Geflüchtete richten.
As part of our Jan 6 series, ISD breaks down the spectrum of movements & ideologies related to the attack, how they reinforce each other and how this landscape has since evolved.
This Dispatch explores headlines used in both mainstream and so-called alternative media outlets, comparing how editorial teams engage with or promote ‘anti-climate activism’ narratives.
Big tech companies are shedding teams once built to address mis- and disinformation. With a lack of consensus on addressing the matter at policy- and at tech level, who is the burden going to fall on?
This Dispatch outlines the multiple sources of publicly available evidence that make up the digital footprint of January 6, and how it was used to understand what led to the attack and identify the rioters.
This Dispatch explores the role of TikTok in spreading anti-migrant videos in Ireland amidst the ongoing anti-immigration protests
As America grapples with inflection points on the rising threats of hate, disinformation, and extremism, President Biden addressed them head-on in his annual State of the Union address.
While hateful and violent rhetoric online continues to manifest into real-world harm, extremists in the US have broadened their focus from COVID and elections to single-issues topics.
ISD analysed how the English town of Harrogate leveraged on- and offline actors who sought to frame the building of a mosque as an anti-patriotic, provocative act.
Extremist networks, groups and movements can easily draw on each other's narratives through social media platforms and messaging apps and apply them to their own local contexts.
Elon Musk's interactions with far-right accounts on Twitter, including those known to spread disinformation, have increased by 1,690% since his acquisition of the platform.
While historically, bringing extremist movements to justice has taken different forms, the most effective solutions to curbing domestic extremism in the United States enforce unmistakable legal and social accountability.
Two years on from the January 6 insurrection, the occupation of Brazil’s presidential palace is a stark reminder that election denial and disinformation are proliferating worldwide and threatening democratic processes.
Sylvain's conspiratorial thinking made him wary of government and society, and led him to sell his home and move to higher lands in fear the end of the world would come because of a prophecised date. Today, he hopes that sharing his story with ISD's Extreme Dialogue might help others "wake up."
ISD US analyzes the key trends in election denialist behaviour during the 2022 midterms, and what to expect going forward.
While details are still emerging, ISD provides preliminary analysis of the online activity of the shooter in the Wieambilla, Queensland case.
As seasonal Respiratory Syncytial Virus infections grow, anti-vaxxers are blaming COVID vaccines and lockdowns for higher levels of illness.
This dispatch analyses a Telegram channel linked to a pro-Kremlin influence operation targeting Ukrainian refugees in Germany.
At a time when one of the world’s most influential artists is using social media to mainstream antisemitic beliefs, it seems YouTube is also profiting from antisemitic hate speech. ISD research reveals how harmful content is turned into a profitable commodity.
A new ISD investigation found that platforms failed to enforce their own policies in safeguarding female candidates, sometimes even promoting abusive hashtags related to name searches on their platform.
This dispatch addresses how Russian-language propaganda on Telegram spread hate and disinformation against Ukrainian refugees in Europe.
After the attack on an LGBTQ+ bar that killed 5, celebration from accelerationists accompanies a massive rise in discourse about 'groomers' and sympathetic responses from social me
The tragedy at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs is the latest real-world episode of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric affecting the lives of those targeted.
The social media history of the suspect behind an attack on a migrant processing centre in the south of England reveals multiple issues with the current approach to counter-terrorism policy in the UK.
ISD analyses the efforts of election denialists and others to monitor voting drop boxes in the run-up to the 2022 US mid-terms.
ISD explores election-related disinformation on TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels in advance of the 2022 US midterms.
Complex inter-community factors, along with deliberate agitation, are to blame for recent flare ups between Hindus and Muslims in Leicester.
This Dispatch addresses key findings and policy recommendations for social media platforms on abortion-related misinformation in the US.
ISD exposes key narratives and trends in discourse amongst election-denying constituencies ahead of the 2022 US midterm elections.
An ISD investigation reveals the pro-Kremlin influence operation behind a fake video claiming Western weapons meant for Ukraine are ending up on the black market.
ISD has uncovered a large-scale Russian influence operation which has been targeting European audiences with disinformation and pro-Kremlin messages.
This Dispatch summarises our investigation on the Zemmour campaign’s social media strategy that may have violated platforms’ community guidelines.
Ahead of the Italian elections, this dispatch examines how the pandemic has pushed users toward alt news sources that are now spreading pro-Kremlin disinformation.
Australia is on the cusp of voting for a constitutional referendum that would create a representative body for the Aboriginal Australians, but a lack of official information is creating space for hate speech and conspiracy theories.
Today's Dispatch looks at pro-Kremlin rhetoric attempting to discredit Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as ‘neo-Nazi’ states.
The IEP'S 2022 Global Terrorism Index found that Sub-Saharan Africa has emerged as a global epicentre of terrorism, while deaths from terrorism have dropped globally.
Amidst Finland's bid to join NATO, supporters of Moscow’s claim that Russia is “denazifying” Ukraine have begun to associate Finland, a longstanding neutral country, with fascism.
This Dispatch explore “Underside”, an extensive doxxing operation targeting alleged British-influenced traitors and infiltrators within Russia.
New ISD research shows Facebook and Twitter are presenting users searching for news about Ukraine with pro-Kremlin material and information from unverified sources.
This dispatch explores how Twitter policies designed to tackle anti-LGBTQ+ hatred are failing to address the onslaught of hate campaigns directed at the queer community on the platform.
This second Dispatch in our four-part series explores the Azov Regiment in Ukraine, debunking pro-Kremlin claims that Ukraine is ‘neo-Nazi’ and anti-NATO conspiracy narratives.
Ein Dispatch mit Handlungsoptionen zum Themenfeld „Öffentliche Gesundheit“, die zunehmend von demokratiefeindlichen Akteur:innen unterwandert wird. Folgend und Lösungen für Initiativen der Globalen Gesundheit.
This is the first of four Dispatches unpacking the narratives and tropes of pro-Kremlin actors claiming Ukraine to be a fascist state.
ISD investigation highlights just how easy it is to sell guns on Facebook.
L’élection présidentielle française de 2022 s’est déroulée dans un climat d’inquiétude par rapport au potentiel impact que la désinformation, la mésinformation et les discours polarisants pourraient avoir sur le déroulement d’un scrutin à forts enjeux.
Despite EU bans on Russia Today content, ISD has uncovered various ways in which RT content is still accessible and available online, reaching European audiences.
Preying on primordial urges, pro-Kremlin Arabic narratives find a sweet spot in women influencers.
This Dispatch outlines the methodology ISD employed for The Syria Campaign’s report on disinformation, along with key research findings from this research.
A coordinated network of volunteers are working to translate existing Russian-language propaganda and disinformation about the war in Ukraine into many languages.
Today's Dispatch explores Dig Deep Documentary, a YouTube channel that appears to be a copycat of the now banned Russia Today channel.
Widersprüche, falsche Zahlen und Täuschungsmanöver. ISD hat die Nutzung von der Plattform Gettr in der deutschen rechtsextremen Szene beobachtet.
This Dispatch examines Project Nemesis, a mass doxxing campaign targeting members of the Ukrainian military, secret services, volunteers and international trainers.
This Dispatch explores how a propaganda campaign orchestrated by an antisemitic hate group has successfully manipulated media coverage to spread its hateful conspiracies.
This Dispatch explores how leading politicians’ decision to invoke the spectre of foreign interference during the Australian elections represents a dangerous new election tactic.
This Dispatch discusses challenges and opportunities for algorithmic and platform design that seek to guarantee pluralistic debate and freedom of speech online.
New ISD analysis outlines how monkeypox outbreaks are reviving the spread of a set of cut-and-paste COVID-19 conspiracies – ones that have seeded the most virulent forms of disinformation over the past two years.
In the 2022 Australian election, most candidates with ties to the conspiracy and anti-lockdown movements did not get elected. This Dispatch analyses the response.
In this Dispatch, ISD analysts explore Kremlin propaganda narratives about Victory Day on Facebook in 11 different languages and countries.
In this Dispatch, we analyse how candidates in the 2022 Australian elections have made reference to the World Economic Forum and the 'Great Reset' on Facebook and Twitter.
This Dispatch is the first of two about World Economic Forum and 'Great Reset' conspiracy theories being spread by various actors during the 2022 Australian federal elections.
What is 'Dark MAGA', and how can the media avoid falling into the trap of amplifying far-right aesthetics?
This Dispatch examines the key narratives and mechanisms used by pro-Kremlin influencers and actors attempting to link the Buffalo shooter to the Azov Battalion.
YouTube and its creators are profiting from livestreamed Super Chats promoting violence, conspiracies, misinformation and hate.
This Dispatch shares the findings of a recent ISD study into the videos YouTube recommends its young Australian male users, including anti-trans and misogynistic content.
The Kremlin disinformation playbook of denials, diversion and deflections has been used as atrocities emerge after Russia's month-long occupation of Bucha.
This Dispatch explores how the antisemitic “Khazarian Mafia” conspiracy theory is being directed at the war in Ukraine.
This analysis looks at the most shared links in online messages referring to the French presidential election, identifying the topics and trends that marked the electoral campaign.
Cette analyse s'intéresse aux liens les plus partagés dans des messages en ligne faisant référence à l'élection présidentielle afin d'identifier des sujets et tendances qui ont marqué la campagne électorale.
This Dispatch provides an overview of the online antisemitism threat landscape, which has increased in recent years, particularly since the pandemic.
Dans le cadre des élections présidentielles françaises, l'ISD a observé que le sentiment anti-Macron était partagé en ligne de part et d'autre du spectre idéologique et politique.
Marquée par la crise sanitaire, la candidature Zemmour, et la guerre en Ukraine, la campagne électorale a vu la mobilisation accrue des identitaires et de la complosphère.
ISD has identified a small network of 33 Twitter accounts that appear to have been hijacked and used to spread pro-CCP (Chinese Communist Party) narratives. The network includes two accounts of European politicians.
In the period surrounding the first-round of the French presidential vote, ISD observed the deployment of anti-establishment and right-wing extremist narratives against Macron’s government.
New ISD analysis of Facebook posts across 20 countries reveals that three weeks after the Bucha massacre, the most shared Facebook posts on the events are the ones questioning the legitimacy of it.
This Dispatch looks at the impact of the RT and Sputnik bans on French social media, including the response of online fringe communities and proxies.
La nouvelle étude de l'ISD s'intéresse au lancement de Gettr en France et Allemagne, le réseau social américain voulant attirer l'extrême droite européenne.
This Dispatch looks at the recent developments in digital policy, offering recommendations for platforms and governments responding to propaganda and disinformation.
ISD looks at how far-right channels, groups and pages on Telegram and Facebook have addressed the Russia-Ukraine War by looking at the narratives shared and domains amplified.
ISD has discovered Twitter accounts aligned with the Chinese Communist Party that appear to be inauthentic, spreading and amplifying disinformation about the war in Ukraine.
This Dispatch looks at how Hungarian state-linked media is echoing and amplifying pro-Kremlin narratives, despite the country siding with Western allies’ efforts against Russia.
This Dispatch looks at the shift that appears to be underway in QAnon conspiracy communities as China's president Xi Jinping is recast from villain to hero.
This Dispatch looks at how both RT DE and its followers have circumvented restrictions, while RT DE’s following has grown on alternative platforms like Odysee and VK.com.
This Digital Dispatch analyses French and German activity on Gettr, the microblogging site aimed at far-right and conservative audiences.
This Dispatch analyses how hashtags are being used to facilitate the Soviet propaganda tactic 'whataboutism' to support and amplify pro-Kremlin content.
In this Dispatch, Elise Thomas explains why Western conspiracy communities on Telegram are promoting pro-Kremlin propaganda about the Russia-Ukraine war.
Pro-Kremlin hashtags on Twitter have the hallmarks of an influence operation masquerading as a grassroots social movement, but how can they help us detect future operations?
Ukraine-related disinformation from Russian state-backed sources is spreading without restriction in German-Language Telegram channels and groups.
This Dispatch explores how Russian state-controlled or state-affiliated news organisations are using TikTok to spread misinformation and push Kremlin disinformation narratives.
This Digital Dispatch shares several trends that ISD analysts observed in German-language Facebook groups during the days prior to Russia’s invasion, and in the days immediately after it.
This Dispatch explores how COVID-19 misinformation and anti-vaccine bias are given the appearance of legitimacy through pre-print research papers that are widely spread online.
This Dispatch explores fake Facebook groups being run for profit from foreign countries that claim to be part of the 'Freedom Convoy' protest movement.
This Dispatch looks at German-language YouTube videos which are attracting hate speech against Jewish people in their comment sections.
In diesem Dispatch werden deutschsprachige YouTube-Videos analysiert, die besonders häufig antisemitische Kommentare anziehen.
Support for presidential candidate Eric Zemmour has amplified identitarian rhetoric in France, where identitarians are coordinating campaign support across online platforms.
ISD researchers outline their approach to applying toxicity analysis to Salafi online content and the development of automated toxicity detection tools.
An investigation by ISD analyses the distribution and sale of fake health passes on social networks (Facebook, Instagram and Telegram) in France.
In this Dispatch, we examine the international sources of funding and support for the trucker convoys taking place across Canada, as well as exploring other potential convoys in North America and Europe.
In this Dispatch, Elise Thomas looks at how the ‘Canberra Convoy’ raises interesting questions around analysing protest movements in the age of social media.
A new series from ISD deconstructs the surge of transnational anti-lockdown protest movements. It explores the long-term threat the movement poses and discusses the appropriate policy responses.
This Dispatch highlights North Macedonian's deeply divided digital space, where politics and ethnic based hate underscore polarising online narratives.
Une investigation de l’ISD analysant la diffusion et la vente de faux pass sanitaires sur les réseaux sociaux (Facebook, Instagram et Telegram) en France.
This Dispatch shares new ISD research that highlights how Twitter and Meta's hate speech policies aimed at protecting transgender people are poorly enforced and still suffer from gaps in implementation.
This Dispatch series explores notable themes following the Capitol riot, including accountability for big tech, extremists’ digital footprints, and the landscape of election denialism going forward.
This report series explores how networks linked to individuals in Vietnam are using QAnon conspiracy theories and US political disinformation to generate revenue.
In this Dispatch, Elise Thomas looks at how Australia's anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown movements responded to the recent Djokovic saga.
This Dispatch explores how users who have been banned from platforms like Youtube and Twitter are able to freely promote and profit from their content on Substack.
As the Select Committee continues to excavate the mountain of evidence relating to the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, many have wondered why the rioters in the Capitol that day went to such lengths to document and broadcast their own crimes.
This Dispatch examines the specifics of Hungarian organisations most in connection with an international ultra-conservative network working to undermine women's and LGBTQ's sexual and reproductive health rights.
This Dispatch examines the global network of ultra-conservative organisations working to undermine the rights of sexual minorities and women, and the key actors in this network.
This Dispatch explains the concept of 'post-organisational' violent extremism and terrorism, and why tech companies, counter-terrorism practitioners and policymakers face challenges in how to respond to it.
This Dispatch examines the online threat landscape in Slovakia; one which appears increasingly hybridised as polarising and extreme content emanates from a broad spectrum of actors.
The left-wing 'Gunstagram’ is an emerging, US-based firearms community on Instagram. This dispatch looks at what has driven its growth.
Our recent project classifying YouTube comments in German seeks to contribute to research and public debate on natural language processing.
Unser aktuelles Projekt zur Klassifizierung deutschsprachiger YouTube-Kommentare soll einen Beitrag zur Forschung und öffentlichen Debatte zu Natural Language Processing (NLP) leisten. Insbesondere soll es auf die mit dieser Methode verbundenen Lücken und die Notwendigkeit von manueller Überprüfung und Kontrolle aufmerksam machen.
In this ‘Online Extremism Index’ Dispatches, ISD analyses polarising content and hate speech online in Kenya ahead of the country’s 2022 general elections.
Despite being banned from Facebook, the pro-Russian disinformation outlet News Front has resumed many of its operations.
ISD researchers tracked posts about climate change produced by reliable sources on Facebook alongside posts produced by climate sceptic actors.
An overview of ISD’s pioneering new research which provides a digital snapshot of the rapidly shifting online Salafi ecosystem across social media and its intersection with Gen-Z identities.
Elise Thomas observes the move towards extremism amongst Australian and New Zealand anti-lockdown movements, explaining why referring to them simply as ‘far-right’ misses important pieces of the story.
Despite Facebook’s claims of continuous enforcement, it appears that some well-known actors are returning to the platform again and again using largely the same tactics.
ISD researchers investigate a set of unchecked videos and accounts that are promoting anti-vaccine tropes on YouTube - some of which have been on the platform for more than 15 years.
TikTok is failing to tag almost 60% of COVID-19 vaccine-related content on its platform, leaving users exposed to often unverified and harmful content.
ISD researchers monitoring misinformation analysed the rise of the 12 medical professionals spreading misinformation on Facebook.
New joint research from ISD and VU analyses the reciprocal nature of far-left and far-right activity on Twitter between 2016-2021.
Following the withdrawal of NATO and Western troops from Afghanistan in mid-August, there has been a visible spike in German-language anti-migration discourse on social media.
A new ISD report details the growth of the 'climate lockdown' conspiracy narrative, which claims that government overreach will be enacted under the pretext of climate change to strip people of civil liberties.
New ISD research draws on analysis of white supremacist chats on the encrypted messaging application Telegram to explore the complex relationship white supremacists have with the military.
Elise Thomas explains why anti-vaccination literature is being pushed to the top of search results at many online book retailers, beating out evidence-based information.
ISD analysts monitored discussion on various online platforms in the lead up to the German federal election. This Dispatch outlines their findings.
Elise Thomas explains how websites play a central role in the digital presence of many extreme-right organisations and communities.
ISD is pioneering a series of efforts to further explore the intersection between gaming and extremism.
The Strong Cities Network's Beirut Office, Lama Awad, Ghida El-Assaad, and Nicolas Gholam, examine the country’s approach to P/CVE and the many challenges it now faces in light of recent events.
With the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks upon us, Eric Rosand writes for the RESOLVE Network about the growing relevance of cities in preventing and countering violent extremism.
Conspiracy-focused anti-lockdown social media groups in Australia are experiencing a period of rapid growth, fuelled by widespread public health restrictions.
An overview of ISD's upcoming The Future of Extremism series: an ambitious programme of data-driven publications, thought-leading analysis and public events focused on the next generation of extremism challenges and responses.
ISD is one of over 50 co-signatories on an open letter calling upon EU policy-makers to amend the draft EU Digital Services Act to tackle disinformation head-on.
The explosive growth of digital technologies around the world is opening new potential domains for conflict.
This dispatch features an excerpt from 'Hatescape An In-Depth Analysis of Extremism and Hate Speech on TikTok', a new ISD report that aims to provide an in-depth analysis on the state of extremism and hate on TikTok.
As the German Federal Election draws closer, far-right actors in Germany are using the same tactics to undermine the vote as their counterparts across the Atlantic did in 2020.
The Institute for Economics and Peace's blog, Vision of Humanity, takes a look at the rise in right-wing violence and the challenges it presents to current counterterrorism efforts.
The 2019 Christchurch attacks stand as an instructive example of an increasingly international far-right. This Dispatch examines online extremism in New Zealand, drawing on ISD research conducted throughout 2020 which provides a data-driven snapshot of New Zealand’s online extremist ecosystem.
As part of the Strong Cities Network’s programme of ongoing research, ISD analysts mapped and analysed the online extremist landscape in Bangladesh. This Dispatch looks at their findings.
It has been a decade since the 2011 terror attacks in Oslo, considered by many to be a “turning point” in far right extremist mobilisation. This Dispatch outlines the ways in which the ideas, tactics and dynamics underpinning the attack have come to shape one of the most persistent and dangerous terror threats we are seeing today.
This Dispatch outlines seven of the key takeaways from a new ISD report that documents the findings of a study tracking the online ecosystems used by right-wing extremists in Canada in 2020.
ISD analysts identified a number of pro-CCP accounts spreading distorted research on Twitter, with the seeming intention being to lambast one of China’s oldest rivals: Japan. This dispatch outlines just how legitimate, pre-existing research can be manipulated and repackaged in furtherance of geopolitical goals.
Ciarán O'Connor writes about how TikTok Sounds are being used to create and popularise misleading and harmful COVID-19 related content on the platform, in particular discouraging people against getting vaccinated.
This dispatch highlights how, in Czechia and Slovakia, character assassination seems to be the most successful strategy used by those seeking to disrupt and polarise online debate on climate change.
This dispatch examines the most widely shared internet domains amongst online anti-vaccination communities in Germany. It illustrates the high level of influence Austrian and Swiss disinformation outlets appear to hold in the German-speaking online sphere of conspiracy narratives.
This article highlights the key findings from a new ISD research report that provides a snapshot of the different online communities involved in the promotion of hate and disinformation targeting refugees and the migration sector in 2020.
In Hungary, government-affiliated media is critical in shaping public opinion. This dispatch looks at how national and local government-affiliated media outlets on Facebook have portrayed the issue of climate change over the past two years.
In Poland, climate change is largely absent from the online discussion around coal mining and the energy sector, which is instead dominated by economic and security arguments in favour of, and in opposition to, the coal industry. This dispatch highlights the key trends in such discussion, as well as the types of messaging different actors employ.
The social media uproar around the Turów mine dispute illustrates how Eurosceptic beliefs and suspicions about Germany were weaponised in attempt to drive polarisation and delay climate action in Poland.
The social media debate around a new climate communications project by German broadcaster WDR provides a useful case study that illustrates how climate communication efforts by public broadcasters are received - especially in the lead up to an election.
An investigation by ISD suggests a shift in seemingly coordinated pro-CCP network tactics - one involving real, genuine human Twitter influencers acting as advocates for pro-CCP narratives.
New ISD research presents a data-driven snapshot of the proliferation of COVID-19-related online antisemitic content in French and German on Twitter, Facebook and Telegram.
This Dispatch looks at the links between the largest online archive of Islamic State materials and a real-world IS case. It raises a set of policy considerations for managing online contingents of movements like the Islamic State and disrupting the creation and management of such archives.
New analysis by ISD and CTC focuses on Islamic State-affiliated content stored on digital archives, and the method of creating hubs of information to preserve such materials. Such research reveals one small part of the movement’s ongoing efforts to document its path to stay relevant in the future.
New analysis by researchers at ISD and the Institute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities at Victoria University analyses the interplay between far-right and far-left groups in the state of Victoria, Australia on the alt-tech social networking platform Gab.
In the online world, conspiracies and misinformation are often used to downplay the severity of the coronavirus, undermine efforts to tackle its spread and promote anxieties about the vaccine. This briefing examines how Dutch communities on Facebook promoted COVID-19 vaccine misinformation throughout April.
Part II of 'Climate is the New Front in the Culture Wars' highlights an entirely different way in which green politics can be appropriated by extremists - to advance a nationalist view around the sacredness of land.
The far right has stoked up fear of immigration, elites, and multiculturalism. Now, extremists are turning their attention online to the alleged threat of the green agenda – with an eye to discrediting COP-26.
The Institute for Economics and Peace take a look at some changes in Positive Peace over the last decade.
The role of algorithms in boosting conspiracy theories and radicalisation has been brought into sharp focus over the past year. Using Amazon’s book sales platform, Elise Thomas illustrates how such problems with algorithmic recommendation extend far beyond social media platforms.
ISD analysts conducted a network analysis of the clusters of Twitter accounts driving climate-related debate during the German state elections. This article reveals their findings.
As part of their ongoing monitoring of hateful speech in France, ISD researchers analysed anti-Muslim discussion in France on Twitter and Facebook. This Dispatch outlines their findings and points to the need for an intersectional analysis of anti-Muslim discourse.
New research by ISD examines how Telegram has evolved among far-right groups and supporters in Ireland, moving from a fringe platform to become one of the main online spaces used by the far-right.
Conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines are rampant across Arabic-language Facebook entities. Recent analysis by ISD has found connections to dominant COVID-19 vaccine misinformation narratives and influencers tied to the Middle East and North Africa's geo-politics.
Ahead of the German state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rheinland-Pfalz, ISD analysts examined climate-related discussion on social media. The goal was to interrogate how social media drives climate-related debate during an election period,.
A brief look at some of the defining numbers of Syrian civil war by the The Institute for Economics and Peace.
This article looks at the key topics of discussion within a network of anti-climate change communities on Facebook and Twitter in the UK from 25 February 2021- 3 March 2021.
For International Women’s Day, we look at how the implications of online gender-based abuse and disinformation threaten gender equality in a post-COVID world.
In Canada, protests against COVID-19 restrictions fuelled by conspiracies and misinformation have generated anger and hostility. This briefing takes a closer look at Canadian communities who were promoting COVID-19 vaccine misinformation throughout February.
Elise Thomas discusses how Facebook’s decision to block Australian users from sharing or viewing news content on the platform created a short-lived experiment as to what happens to disinformation and conspiracy theories in the absence of journalism on social media platforms.
This Dispatches post examines how the "Great Reset" conspiracy is growing among online communities in the Netherlands, and how the leader of a Dutch right-wing populist party has played a key role in mainstreaming it.
In recent months, clashes at anti-lockdown protests have shown how online vitriol can lead to offline violence. We take a look at the nature of some of this online vitriol in Ireland throughout January - and find that Irish COVID-19 vaccine misinformation communities on Facebook are on the rise.
The same social media tools being used to inform the public about COVID-19 vaccinations are also being used to misinform people on a massive scale. Throughout 2021, Digital Dispatches will examine key COVID-19 vaccine misinformation themes in different countries.
A new case study by ISD provides a glimpse into the inner workings of the broader disinformation ecosystem and sheds light on the long tail of state-linked online assets.
Cécile Guerin writes about how the lines between the two sides of her life - as a researcher at ISD and a yoga teacher in her spare time - have become increasingly blurred over the past year.
As critically important vaccination programs roll out in countries around the world, it is imperative that we think about mitigating the potential security risks posed by conspiracy theorists to vaccination sites.
This is the final piece of a three-part Digital Dispatches series that looks back at how a year of online extremist mobilisation precipitated a violent assault on the heart of American democracy on January 6 2021.
This is the second in a three-part Digital Dispatches series that looks back at how a year of online extremist mobilisation precipitated a violent assault on the heart of American democracy on January 6 2021.
This is the first in a three-part Digital Dispatches series that looks back at how a year of online extremist mobilisation precipitated a violent assault on the heart of American democracy on January 6 2021.
Donald Trump’s use of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric as a means through which to govern and campaign is longstanding, but it arguably reached its apex with his 2020 re-election bid – the consequences of which are both severe and growing.
The importance of pushing back against misleading and false narratives in their early stages was made clear in the midst of the 2020 US presidential election, when efforts to debunk mainstreamed voter fraud narratives instead ran the risk of amplifying the narratives further.
New research by ISD tracks far-right narratives from the US, France and Germany, looking at how such narratives gain traction in domestic mainstream media and exploring if and how narratives move from the far-right’s online media ecosystem to different geographical and political contexts.
How do the far-right and far-left discuss each other on Facebook? How do narratives about the other side of the political spectrum shape the online activity of these groups? An analysis of the far-right and far-left Facebook ecosystem in Australia looks at how central discussion of the ‘other side’ is to each movement.
The Western Balkans faces twin challenges from online extremism where international extremist narratives target the region through online platforms while its histories and geopolitics are appropriated to justify extremist actions and narratives around the world.
When Donald Trump retweeted a post claiming that Dominion Voting Systems had partnered with the Clinton Global Initiative to deliberately switch ballots intended for Trump to Joe Biden, a narrative of election rigging began that would spread online, and which will likely resurface again.
A tweet baselessly claimed that Dominion Voting Systems had partnered with the Clinton Global Initiative to switch ballots intended for Trump to Joe Biden. It was the peak of a narrative combining technology and corruption concerns with the need to explain Trump’s increasingly apparent election defeat.
ISIS continues to deploy social media recruitment strategies when opportunities arise. In an effort to understand each social media platform’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of striking terrorist content off their platforms, ISD timed platforms' takedowns of content egregiously violating their policies.
On 31 May 2020, President Trump tweeted that the far-left network Antifa would be designated a “Terrorist Organization.” ISD researchers monitored the reactions to Trump’s tweet by far-right actors online.
ISD researchers conducted a long-term analysis of conversations around the loose network of far-left organisations known as Antifa between January 2019 and June 2020.
In Part I, we looked at how the Proud Boys online presence reacted to the sudden and widespread exposure that the group received following Trump’s mention of them in the first US Presidential debate. Now, we look at the narratives and methods used in their responses.
Mainstream social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are becoming increasingly active in removing extremist content from their platforms. But what happens when a major figure such as the US President mentions a hate group in a Presidential debate?
In early June, troll groups on 4chan staged a series of online raids against Black Lives Matter activists on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, ultimately stifling their ability to coordinate activities.
ISD found that conspiratorial narratives on Facebook and Twitter about billionaire philanthropist George Soros rose in tandem with the George Floyd protests that strafed the US in May.
In the midst of the Black Lives Matter protests, a video emerged and a false narrative took hold: an innocent man had been beaten - some said to death - for defending his business.
Simple techniques such as alternative hashtag spellings can circumvent TikTok's measures to combat the spread of QAnon content. TikTok must do more to combat the problem – and urgently.
