July 3, 2022 | The Independent
Aoife Gallagher: Social platforms lack the “will” or “ability” to tackle misinformation
ISD analyst Aoife Gallagher commented to The Independent about how current response efforts to misinformation are not enough.
Recent mentions
June 30, 2022 | Washington Post
Son of ‘brutal dictator’ elected president of the Philippines with the assistance of TikTok
ISD's Ciarán O'Connor spoke to the Washington Post about the role of TikTok in the election campaign of Bongbong Marcos, the incoming president of the Philippines.
June 17, 2022 | Alsat TV
Young Cities North Macedonia provides platform for issue-based dialogue
Albanian-language national broadcaster Alsat covered Young Cities' recent event, the Youth Policy and Engagement Forum, held last month in North Macedonia.
June 16, 2022 | Irish Examiner
How the ‘Big Lie’ conspiracy continues to threaten US democracy
ISD analyst Ciarán O’Connor wrote an op-ed for the Irish Examiner on the lasting effects of Donald Trump's voter fraud accusations and the 'big lie' conspiracy.
June 16, 2022 | Amnesty International Kenya
Amnesty International responds to our findings on Facebook’s failure in stopping extremist content in East Africa
Amnesty International Kenya and HAKI Africa released a joint statement expressing "deep concern" over our findings about Facebook's failure in stopping terrorist content online and the threat this serves to digital democracies in Africa.
June 15, 2022 | BBC
Lack of non-English language moderating tactics permitting spread of terrorist content in Africa
ISD’s AMEA Executive Director Moustafa Ayad spoke to BBC's Focus on Africa programme to discuss our recent report into terrorist content on Facebook in East Africa.
June 15, 2022 | AP News
Facebook fails to identify terrorist content threatening East Africa
Our recent report documenting the unmoderated spread of terrorist content on Facebook in East Africa is featured by AP News.
June 13, 2022 | Spotify
ISD joins Spotify Safety Advisory Council to help curb the spread of misinformation on its platform
This is the first safety-focused council of this sort to be created by a major audio company.
June 13, 2022 | The Guardian
Sky News Australia deemed ‘hub’ for climate misinformation
ISD's report Deny, Deceive, Delay: Documenting and Responding to Climate Disinformation at COP26 and Beyond has been featured in The Guardian.
June 11, 2022 | Tech Policy Press
Podcast: The current climate disinformation ecosystem is delaying urgent climate action
Our Head of Climate Disinformation, Jennie King, along with fellow Climate Change Coalition member Michael Khoo, discuss the climate disinformation ecosystem and how popular conspiracy narratives are only distracting and delaying urgent climate action.
June 10, 2022 | The BBC
ISD’s Jacob Davey on the mainstreaming of the Great Replacement theory
ISD's Jacob Davey took part in an expert panel for The Real Story on BBC World Service discussing the dynamics driving the Great Replacement conspiracy theory into the mainstream.
June 9, 2022 | The Conduit
Podcast: Climate action up against delayism and culture wars politics
ISD’s Jennie King is a guest on The Conduit speaking about climate mis- and disinformation and the small, closing window for action we are facing.
June 9, 2022 | The Guardian
Climate action sidetracked by ‘culture wars’ and delay tactics
ISD’s head of climate disinformation, Jennie King, spoke with the Guardian about our findings around monitoring climate mis- and disinformation during COP26.
June 9, 2022 | Newsweek
Climate delayism narratives outperforming science-based content on Twitter, Facebook
Newsweek profiles our report on evidencing trends of mis- and disinformation identified around COP26.
June 7, 2022 | Radio Télé Suisse
ISD’s Iris Boyer on “Twitter diplomacy” in the context of the Russia-Ukraine War
Speaking to Radio Télévision Suisse during their French-language morning show, La Matinale, she offers analysis on "Twitter diplomacy" and observations ISD France has had since the beginning of the war.
May 29, 2022 | BBC News
New Pro-Kremlin media outlet Southern Front is targeting Russian occupied areas in Ukraine
ISD's Julia Smirnova features in this article for the BBC, explaining that Southern Front is "likely the latest Russian strategy to establish control over the occupied territories of Ukraine".
May 27, 2022 | Grid News
Conspiracists turn to familiar pattern following the Uvalde school shooting
ISD's Melanie Smith comments to Grid News about how "conspiracy theories thrive" in moments of crises like the Uvalde school shooting.
May 26, 2022 | VICE News
Australians dissatisfied with election outcome turn to baseless voter fraud theories
ISD OSINT analyst Elise Thomas spoke with VICE News about the general conspiracist sentiment setting over Australia since the general elections in May.
May 21, 2022 | ABC News
Buffalo shooting highlights rise in online extremism related to the pandemic
ISD analyst Ciarán O'Connor features in this article for ABC News speaking about the uptick in online radicalisation since the pandemic.
May 20, 2022 | The Independent
The Great Replacement theory gains a footing among the Irish far right
ISD analyst Aoife Gallagher spoke to the Irish Independent about the significance of the Great Replacement theory among the Irish far right.
May 19, 2022 | L'Express
Elon Musk links Twitter bid to bot numbers, raising privacy and transparency issues
ISD’s Iris Boyer questions the balance between the right to privacy and transparency issues on social media, in light of Elon Musk conditioning his Twitter bid to the number of fake accounts on the platform.
May 19, 2022 | CNN Business
Alt-platforms refusing to remove hate content is giving way to further radicalisation
Some platforms like 4chan refuse to take down extremist content and "ruin it for everyone", ISD's Tim Squirrell said in conversation with CNN Business.
May 18, 2022 | Tortoise
Gaming-adjacent platforms: a gateway to extremism?
Jacob Davey spoke to Tortoise about findings from ISD's Gaming and Extremism series in light of the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York.
May 17, 2022 | BBC World News
The US must push to disengage individuals from turning to mainstream conspiracies in wake of Buffalo shooting
ISD's Tim Squirrell spoke with BBC World News about the 14 May shooting in Buffalo, New York, the theories that might've prompted the suspect's radicalisation online, and prevention methods moving forward.
May 17, 2022 | Bloomberg
Videos of the Buffalo mass shooting remain online
Ciarán O'Connor told Bloomberg that videos capturing the attacker livestreaming the Buffalo mass shooting can still be found online across various platforms.
May 16, 2022 | VICE News
Pro-Putin influencers and conspiracists attempt to link Buffalo shooter to neo-Nazi group in Ukraine
ISD's Tim Squirrell spoke with VICE News on how pro-Kremlin circles are misconstruing the shooter's profile to undermine support for Ukraine.
May 15, 2022 | NBC
Mass shooting in Buffalo sheds light on extremist online communities
ISD's Ciarán O’Connor spoke to NBC about the alleged shooter's involvement in online spaces, including forums and platforms, dedicated to extremist conversations.
May 13, 2022 | Channel 4 News
Growing British far-right group pushes new grooming tactics
ISD’s Julia Ebner provided analysis to a Channel 4 investigation on the tactics and narratives used by the British white nationalist movement Patriotic Alternative (PA) to groom young people in the country.
May 12, 2022 | The Guardian
GB News appoints climate sceptic as chairman
ISD's Jennie King spoke to the Guardian about the appointment of known climate change-sceptic, Alan McCormick, as GB News chairman.
May 9, 2022 | Al Jazeera
Tim Squirrell on the urgency for policy actions in combatting disinformation
Tim Squirrell spoke to Al Jazeera on World Press Freedom Day, discussing the threats of disinformation and propaganda in the online space.
May 5, 2022 | POLITICO
Microinfluencer behind #IStandWithRussia push proactively set up network years before the invasion
Moustafa Ayad spoke with Politico about our findings on the origins behind the viral #IStandWithRussia hashtag that came about after the invasion.
May 4, 2022 | VICE World News
UK sex education play cancelled following backlash by a Spain-based, religiously-linked advocacy group
Kata Balint and Lukasz Janulewicz spoke to VICE World News about CitizenGO, an organisation that plays a key role in an international network attempting to restrict sexual and reproductive health rights.
May 1, 2022 | Al Jazeera English
Cyber Front Z, the pro-Kremlin troll army spreading propaganda online
Tim Squirrell spoke to Al Jazeera English about Cyber Front Z, a Russian troll farm accused of spreading pro-Kremlin misinformation on social media.
April 27, 2022 | SMH
YouTube’s algorithm targeting boys and young men with mysoginistic, ‘manosphere’ content
In collaboration with Reset Australia, ISD researchers examined algorithmic recommendations on YouTube and YouTube Shorts and found that boys and young men in Australia are being targeted with misogynistic, anti-feminist and 'Manosphere'-content.
April 26, 2022 | Slate
Non-neutrality of search engines evident in the aftermath of the Bucha massacre
ISD’s Iris Boyer spoke with Slate France on the non-neutrality of search engines in the aftermath of the Bucha massacre.
April 21, 2022 | Book
Head of US Disinformation Board draws on ISD research in book on online misogyny
In the lead-up to the 2020 US election, ISD found evidence showing how women running for office were more likely to be targeted by online abuse than their male counterparts.
April 21, 2022 | The Guardian
Facebook posts disputing Bucha massacre outperform verified sources and information
Posts questioning the atrocities committed in Bucha were shared 208,000 times in the first week of April.
April 20, 2022 | VICE
‘Sovereign Citizens,’ the conspiracists that believe they are above local laws
ISD's Ciarán O'Connor shares insight with VICE on the intersection between the long-standing anti-government 'Sovereign Citizen' ideology and COVID-19 conspiracy movements in the UK.
April 20, 2022 | Le Figaro
RT France, Sputnik ban pushes conspiracists to seek alternative information outlets
ISD analysts Zoé Fourel and Sasha Morinière spoke with French Le Figaro about their findings around the support for RT France and Sputnik among French-speakers since the ban.
April 19, 2022 | ABC's RN Breakfast
Jiore Craig: “Australia is another petri dish for bad actors to experiment with as they try out tactics to sow distrust in elections”
ISD's Jiore Craig spoke with ABC's RN Breakfast show about disinformation and misinformation being spread ahead of the Australian elections, and what ISD is doing with partners to prevent false and misleading narratives from taking hold.
April 19, 2022 | Newsweek
Trumpists coming together behind ‘Dark MAGA’ in preparation for 2024
ISD's Tim Squirrell spoke to Newsweek about Dark MAGA, a new aesthetic being promoted by both Trump supporters and more extreme political groups.
April 19, 2022 | SBS News
The “Mosaic Project:” ISD’s joint initiative to combat disinformation during the Australian federal election
ISD's Head of Digital Integrity, Jiore Craig, spoke to SBS News about the Mosaic Project, a joint initiative between ISD, the Judith Nielsen Institute, and RMIT's FactLab.
April 18, 2022 | ABC's The Drum
ISD’s Jiore Craig on how voters can stay ahead of “US-exported” disinformation ahead of the elections in Australia
ISD's Head of Digital Integrity, Jiore Craig, speaks to Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) The Drum, about electoral mis- and disinformation ahead of the Australian federal election.
April 16, 2022 | The Guardian
“US-imported” voter fraud claims on the rise on Facebook in the lead up to elections in Australia
In a conversation with The Guardian, ISD’s Elise Thomas points out that “voter fraud rhetoric ‘imported’” from the US has been on the rise for months in Australia, in the lead up to national elections.
April 13, 2022 | BBC
Tracking Putin’s “superfans:” An investigation by ISD and the BBC
Researchers at ISD joined a BBC investigation on a network of Putin “superfans” on Facebook committed to depicting the Russian president as “smiling, benevolent and peace-loving”.
April 8, 2022 | Jews News Syndicate
ISD and B’nai B’rith, in partnership with UNESCO, release a guide on combatting online antisemitism
ISD- and B’nai B’rith International's, in partnership with UNESCO, guide on combatting antisemitism online was covered by the Jewish News Syndicate.
April 4, 2022 | VICE News
Pro-Kremlin Cyber Front Z army ‘movement’ found to be just another classic troll farm
ISD analyst Julia Smirnova features in this article by VICE News where she explains how a Telegram channel is urging Russians to help boost pro-Kremlin content online by faking a "grassroots" movement.
March 31, 2022 | UnHerd
The far-right’s splitting view of the Russia-Ukraine War
Tim Squirrell, ISD's Head of Communications, spoke with UnHerd about the far-right's splitting view of the Russia-Ukraine War, the "Balkanistation" of the ecosystem and the appeal of conspiracies in moments of human crises.
March 29, 2022 | The Arab Weekly
Can the war in Ukraine breed ‘compassion’ toward non-European refugees?
The war in Ukraine has caused over three million people to flee their homes, Jasmine El-Gamal has authored an op-ed for the Arab Weekly about the future of refugee interventions.
March 29, 2022 | All Africa
Growing number of political gangs in Kenya spark election concerns
ISD's Dominic Pkalya spoke to All Africa about the growing threat of political gangs and militias in Kenya ahead of the national elections on 9 August 2022.
March 29, 2022 | Oireachtas TV
Ciarán O’Connor on the different sides of the information war between Russia and Ukraine
ISD’s Ciarán O’Conner appeared on Oireachtas Debates, a show on Oireachtas TV, an Irish public service broadcaster, as part of a panel interview discussing the war in Ukraine and spread of disinformation around the invasion, and misleading information from pro-Ukrainian parties.
March 24, 2022 | Business Insider
TikTok snubs researchers while disinformation spreads
ISD's Ciarán O'Connor has shared insights and concerns over the role of Tiktok in spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda in an op-ed for Business Insider.
March 23, 2022 | NBC Nightly News
‘Actors with disproportionate power’ vital to combatting disinformation
ISD's Jiore Craig was interviewed on Russian disinformation by NBC Nightly News, where she discussed the role of powerful actors in curbing the spread of disinformation.
March 23, 2022 | Washington Post
Debunked TikTok video is weaponised by Kremlin propaganda to instill fear in Russians everywhere
Analysis by Julia Smirnova was featured by the Washington Post, it looks at a viral Tiktok video spreading misinformation about violence directed at Russians in Germany.
March 20, 2022 | NYT
It’s never been so easy for Russia to wage an information war
ISD researcher Elise Thomas features in an article for the New York Times, where she reminds us that Russia has always executed information attacks, but it's never been as easy as it is now in the age of the Internet and smart phones.
March 19, 2022 | BBC Radio 4
Sasha Havlicek speaks to Radio 4’s Today programme on enforcing the West’s red lines against Putin
ISD's CEO, Sasha Havlicek, appeared on Radio 4's flagship news and current affairs programme, Today, to discuss the last two decades of Western response to Vladimir Putin.
March 16, 2022 | Mother Jones
Wartime information campaigns: why we should hold off on declaring a winner in Russia VS Ukraine
ISD researcher Elise Thomas shares some insight with investigative magazine Mother Jones about her research surrounding the ongoing information battle between Russia and Ukraine.
March 12, 2022 | Al Jazeera
Tim Squirrell on Russia’s response to Meta relaxing hate speech policy against Putin
Tim Squirrell, ISD's Head of Communications and Editorial, appeared on Al Jazeera's Inside Story to discuss changes to Meta's content moderation policy temporarily allowing users in some countries to incite violence against Russian soldiers.
March 7, 2022 | Sky News
Sasha Havlicek on the battle against Putin: “There are seeds of hope, if we can sustain it”
Sasha Havlicek joined Sky News' 'The Great Debate' during primetime as a panelist, debating the question: Can the West stop Vladimir Putin?
March 4, 2022 | AP News
Ciarán O’Connor: TikTok is at the forefront of Russia’s propaganda war
ISD's Ciarán O'Connor comments to AP News about the significance of TikTok in Russia's information war.
March 4, 2022 | POLITICO
Telegram falls behind in following EU ban on Russian-state media
ISD analyst and Russia expert Julia Smirnova speaks with POLITICO on how far-right activity on Telegram has increasingly consisted in the sharing of banned-RT content.
March 3, 2022 | USA Today
Experts come together to define ‘extremism’
ISD has joined with the Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab (PERIL) at the American University in Washington to define 'extremism', USA Today reports.
March 2, 2022 | FAZ
Putin’s “infowar” over Ukraine creates a “perfect environment” for fake content
ISD's Julia Smirnova, an expert on Russia, features in a podcast with renowned German newspaper FAZ about deliberate false reporting during the war in Ukraine.
February 27, 2022 | The Independent
Union between antivaxxers and conspiracists will likely outlive the pandemic
In an interview for the Independent, Milo Comerford and Jacob Davey comment on the social effects COVID-19 will likely have after the pandemic in extremist, conspiracy groups.
February 22, 2022 | ABC
‘Canberra Convoy’ wants a slice of the silent majority
Elise Thomas talks to ABC's 7.30 about the Australian protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions taking place in the country's capital.
February 21, 2022 | BBC Radio 4
Algorithms and pandemic pressure: the perfect storm on social media
ISD's CEO Sasha Havlicek went on BBC Radio 4’s series ‘Death by Conspiracy’ to talk about the effects of the changing social media landscape due to algorithms and the pressure the pandemic put on existing models.
February 17, 2022 | France 24
The overlaps between the international far right and the spreading ‘Freedom Convoy’
Ciarán O’Connor goes on France 24 to talk about the connections between the Canadian truckers’ convoy, the North American far right, and how that translates across the Atlantic.
February 15, 2022 | The Canberra Times
Protestors temporarily unite under “anti” movement in Canberra, but what will the long-lasting effects be?
Elise Thomas features in this episode of the Talk of the Times from the Canberra Times looking at the unifying nature of the "anti-" protests taking place around the city.
February 15, 2022 | France Inter
Users following antivaxx accounts were prompted to posts selling fake health passes on social media
Leading French outlet France Inter covers our research on the sales of fake COVID-19 health passes in the French online space.
February 14, 2022 | POLITICO
‘Sophisticated’ tactics by online ISIS groups evade platform policies
Moustafa Ayad spoke to POLITICO about ISD's research into online Islamist networks on mainstream social media, despite platform policies banning extremist content.
February 14, 2022 | The Guardian
French antivaxxers are discreetly purchasing fake COVID-19 health passes on Telegram
ISD's Zoé Fourel spoke with the Guardian about our findings on the online market for fake COVID-19 health passes that is spreading across the French online space.
February 13, 2022 | France Info
ISD’s Iris Boyer on the portrayal of the freedom convoy in France
ISD’s Iris Boyer spoke with leading French TV information channel France Info on the portrayal of the freedom convoy in France.
February 8, 2022 | LBC
Confrontation of UK opposition leader sparks debate on the mainstreaming of extremist narratives
ISD's Tim Squirrell spoke to LBC about mainstreamed extremist narratives in the wake of the confrontation of Sir Keir Starmer outside of Parliament after accusations from Boris Johnson that he didn't do enough to prosecute Jimmy Savile.
February 6, 2022 | POLITICO
Canadian truckers’ convoy reignites far-right drive around the world
ISD's Ciarán O'Connor comments on how the support for the convoy from U.S. political figures and content creators gave the protests the push needed to appeal to a global audience.
February 4, 2022 | Wired
German anti-lockdown movement ‘quite radical compared to other countries’
ISD's Jakob Guhl spoke to Wired about the diversity of groups that characterise the anti-lockdown movement in Germany.
February 4, 2022 | ZDF
Expert: Russia’s propaganda efforts in Ukraine date back to 2014
ISD's Julia Smirnova speaks with ZDF about Russia's efforts to destabilise Ukraine with propaganda campaigns dating back to 2014 and the annexation of Crimea.
February 3, 2022 | Ouest France
Fake COVID-19 green passes for sale on French social media
ISD's Iris Boyer and Zoe Fourel were interviewed by Ouest France regarding their research of the sale of French COVID-19 vaccination certificates on social media platforms.
February 1, 2022 | Sitel TV
Simeon Dukić speaks to Sitel TV about online extremism in North Macedonia
Simeon Dukic discusses leading ISD research on online extremism in North Macedonian during a television interview with Sitel TV.
January 20, 2022 | Le Soir
Political actors co-opt COVID-sceptic Telegram groups
Iris Boyer spoke to Le Soir about ISD France's deep dive into Telegram during investigation into the sale of fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates on the platform.
January 10, 2022 | VICE News
Conspiracists are backing tennis star Djokovic amid controversy at the Australian Open
Recent controversy around Novak Djokovic's vaccine status at the 2022 Australian Open has sparked online debate among conspiracists if the tennis star should be the new face of the "unvaxxed sperm" movement.
January 3, 2022 | The Guardian
Incel community celebration of Plymouth shooting prompts debate on calls for action
ISD's Tim Squirrell speaks to The Guardian about the need for support services and not just securitised intervention when it comes to at-risk young men in online incel forums.
January 2, 2022 | RTVS
Richard Kuchta: Social media prioritises user retention over community regulation
Our Richard Kuchta stated to RTVS that social media bans are merely applied in repeated cases of community standards violations as the platforms attempt to retain users from going elsewhere.
December 21, 2021 | Radio Campus Paris
Who are the French far-right feminists in politics, and what do they want?
ISD France analyst Iris Boyer joins journalist Daphne Deschamps, on this podcast, discussing self-proclaimed ‘feminist’ politicians on the French far right ahead of the presidential elections next year.
December 20, 2021 |
Islamic extremists troll each other online and manage to stay under Facebook’s radar
Our Moustafa Ayad shared exclusively with POLITICO evidence exposing how several groups supporting the Islamic State and the Taliban managed to go undetected for months on Facebook.
December 17, 2021 | AP News
Ciarán O’Connor: “COVID-19 has served as a catalyst for radicalisation”
Speaking with AP News on his latest report, our Ciarán O'Connor explains how COVID-19 fears have ultimately been exploited by conspiracists to attract new recruits "whose loyalty may outlast the pandemic."
December 8, 2021 | WIRED
Young jihad supporters incorporate alt-right memes and language in their rise on social media
ISD's research discussing alt-jihadists features in this op-ed article by one of the report authors, Moustafa Ayad.
December 3, 2021 | Sky News
Antisemitism and racist content buried in hours of podcast material on Spotify
ISD's Jacob Davey spoke with Sky News on their investigation into extremist material on the popular streaming platform Spotify.
December 1, 2021 | Berliner Morgenpost
German elections: ISD finds that Right-wing party AfD greatly benefitted from the online climate debate
During the 2021 German federal elections, ISD found that Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) was the party that most benefitted from the climate change debate on social media platforms.
November 29, 2021 | VICE News
Far-right supporters and antivaxxers repackage conspiracies during the pandemic
Our Aoife Gallagher features in this article by Vice News on the growing interconnectedness between far-right and antivaccine movements around the world.
November 24, 2021 | MEL Magazine
Gen-Z Salafi followers turn to far-right memes further reinforcing dividing lines
ISD's Milo Comerford and Moustafa Ayad spoke with MEL magazine about Gen-Z and the digital Salafi ecosystem.
November 23, 2021 | UnHerd
Left or right? Islamism at the center of a culture war lacking religious representation
UnHerd cites our report "Islamogram: Salafism and Alt-Right Online Subcultures" to better explain the growing overlap between Salafi Gen Zers and the online far-right.
November 19, 2021 | The Hill
Violent video against U.S. representative AOC stirs up debate around online misogyny
Our Chloe Colliver spoke with The Hill about the handling by social media platforms in dealing with the video directed at AOC.
November 13, 2021 | BBC's The Denial Files
Repurposing COVID-19 conspiracy theories among climate change sceptics
Our Jennie King features in BBC’s The Denial Files where she speaks about how different groups and movements have repurposed and weaponised COVID-19-related language to instill fear among climate change sceptics.
November 12, 2021 | NBC News & The Guardian
COVID vaccine sceptics are getting mandated doses and then turning to questionable “vaxx detoxes”
Our Ciarán O'Connor spoke with NBC News about viral "vaccine detoxes" and how the very design of platforms like TikTok is helping promote potentially dangerous methods.
November 12, 2021 | NPR
Climate-narrative hijacking by extremists and conspiracists threatens COP26 summit efforts
Our Jennie King has been onsite at COP26 with partner organisations keeping watch over our monitoring dashboards analysing trends, posts and narratives on Facebook, Twitter and other websites that could potentially derail summit efforts.
November 8, 2021 | Refinery 29
Julia Ebner: “misogyny is a central part of hateful extremism” and should be recognized as a hate crime
The rise of the incels movement may be linked to the outbreak of the pandemic, according to our Julia Ebner.
November 5, 2021 | Tagesschau
Russian state propaganda fuels COVID-19-related conspiracies among German social media
Our research exposes the influence RT DE on YouTube and how it became one of the most shared sources within the COVID-19 sceptic community.
November 4, 2021 | BBC & more
ISD’s climate monitoring “War Room” keeps watch over misinfo activity during COP26
ISD and partners are maintaining watch over our Climate Dashboards during COP26, monitoring for any mis- and disinformation trends and attacks against the Summit.
October 26, 2021 | BBC Sunday Morning Live
Can we make the internet safer? Sasha Havlicek on cautions behind ending online anonymity
ISD's Sasha Havlicek participates in a panel on BBC's Sunday Morning Live about internet safety.
October 25, 2021 | ABC News
Ciarán O’Connor: Facebook is prioritising platform growth over safety
ISD's Ciarán O'Connor spoke with ABC News about information revealed in the Facebook Papers.
October 25, 2021 | POLITICO
The Facebook Papers: hate speech filters through in Middle East thanks to lack of Arabic-language monitoring and faulty AI tech
ISD assisted POLITICO in reviewing the Facebook Papers, a 59-page memo from late 2020 that evidenced that the platform's efforts to curb hate speech and terrorist content in the Arab world weren't working.
October 22, 2021 | Washington Post
Climate of distrust pushes many in the wellness community to turn to misinformation sources
ISD's Cécile Simmons speaks with the WaPo on the appeal of misinformation within the health and wellness community.
October 21, 2021 | The Economist
Users circumvent TikTok policies by finding workarounds for publishing toxic content
What makes TikTok so popular is also what makes some its content so toxic among younger users.
October 21, 2021 | The Guardian
Terror-related online activity isn’t the only type of extremist content that’s grown since the pandemic
ISD's Jacob Davey speaks to The Guardian in the wake of the killing of British MP David Amess about the increase in "harmful" activity relating to extremist issues since the beginning of the pandemic.
October 20, 2021 | The Washington Post
Social media policies against health disinformation aren’t stopping repeat offenders
ISD's Aoife Gallagher spoke to the WaPo about our latest report "Ill Advice: A Case Study in Facebook’s Failure to Tackle COVID-19 Disinformation" focussing on the virality of the World Doctors Alliance.
October 20, 2021 | Mirror
Narrowing gap between online and offline activity as tech platforms “normalise” hate
ISD's Chloe Colliver speaks with the Mirror about how hateful posts and extremist content may be a mirror of the offline world, while also serving as a trigger within online communities.
October 19, 2021 | BBC's Panorama
How misogynistic hate benefits from algorithms and propels through social media
ISD's Chloe Colliver joins journalist Marianna Spring's investigation on how social media algorithms promote hate toward women.
October 19, 2021 | Channel 4 News & more
Climate change deniers weaponise the pandemic and revel under new conspiracy theory
ISD’s Jennie King spoke with Channel 4 News about our latest report “’Climate lockdown’ and the Culture Wars,” and comments on how the pandemic has ultimately been weaponised by climate change deniers and right-wing media outlets.
September 28, 2021 | Der Standard & Waz
Popular funding services are being used by well-known extremists to finance their activity
ISD Germany and the Global Disinformation Index found that multiple well-known German far-right groups and actors are using well-known funding services like PayPal or Klarna to finance their activity.
September 20, 2021 | BBC Click
Far-right extremists live out fantasies on gaming platforms
ISD's Jacob Davey spoke with BBC Click about far-right extremist activity on gaming platforms.
September 11, 2021 | Al Jazeera
Prioritizing Human Rights in the Aftermath of the So-Called War on Terror
The global War on Terror has further fueled extremist discourse around the world, according to ISD's Moustafa Ayad.
September 7, 2021 | Sky News
Twenty years later: Sasha Havlicek on the global impact of the 9/11 attacks
ISD's CEO, Sasha Havlicek, speaks with Sky News about the global implications that have resulted in the last 20 years when the U.S. embarked on what would be their longest war.
August 27, 2021 | New York Times
The Far-Right and Alt-Right Find Common Ground with the Taliban
ISD’s Moustafa Ayad provides insight to the New York Times in this piece on "Right Wingers who Admire the Taliban."
August 25, 2021 | POLITICO Europe
Hate in Plain Sight: Extremists Unchecked Activity Spreads on TikTok
Ciarán O’Connor’s research on the state of hate on TikTok is featured in articles by POLITICO Europe, USA Today, Jewish Insider, PBS and The Journal, among others.
August 12, 2021 | WIRED UK
Far-right gamers on Steam and Discord, an uncensored community
Our findings on popular gaming platforms Steam, Discord, DLive and Twitch, are featured in this article for WIRED UK.
August 2, 2021 | POLITICO
Pro-Trump Social Media Platform Inundated with Jihadist Propaganda
ISD’s Moustafa Ayad shared with POLITICO various findings relating to the rapid exploitation of the recently launched social media network Gettr by Islamic State and jihadist groups.
July 20, 2021 | CBC News
Mackenzie Hart speaks on CBC News about Right-Wing Extremism in Canada
Mackenzie Hart discusses the findings and implcations of ISD's new report: An Online Environmental Scan of Right-Wing Extremism in Canada.
July 14, 2021 | NBC News
Ciarán O’Connor Finds a Loophole for Anti-Vaccine Misinformation on TikTok
ISD's Ciarán O'Connor spoke to NewsNation Now, NBC News and Reuters on his findings.
July 1, 2021 | BBC's Newsnight
Chloe Colliver on disinformation narratives and risks in the antivaxx movement
ISD’s Chloe Colliver speaks with Newsnight about the risks of radicalisation, and radicalisation toward violence, after prolonged exposure to extremists and disinformation narratives like those being seen in the antivaxx movement.
June 28, 2021 | Morning Consult
The Overlap between QAnon Narratives and Antisemitic Tropes
Aoife Gallagher speaks with the Morning Consult about how QAnon believers often also follow antisemitic tropes.
June 18, 2021 | POLITICO
Far-right Tactics to Undermine the German Federal Election
ISD's work monitoring a range of social media platforms in the lead up to the German Federal Election this September is featured in an article by Mark Scott for POLITICO.
June 18, 2021 | BBC News Africa
Aoife Gallagher speaks on the misinformation storm surrounding the death of George Nkencho in Ireland
ISD's Aoife Gallagher is featured in a story by BBC News Africa following the death of George Nkencho and the misinformation storm that ensued.
June 16, 2021 | Wall Street Journal
Sasha Havlicek quoted on the Long-Term Effectiveness of Facebook’s Oversight Panel
ISD's CEO Sasha Havlicek is quoted in an article by Parmy Olson for the Wall Street Journal about the long-term effectiveness of Facebook's oversight panel.
July 12, 2021 | Alsat-M
Emir Hasanovic on ISD’s Strong Cities Network in the Balkans
ISD’s Emir Hasanovic is an in-studio guest at North Macedonia's most watched national station for a 30-minute interview on ISD's Strong Cities work in the Balkans.
May 5, 2021 | Tortoise Media
Extremists Shift their Focus to Green Politics ahead of COP-26
Jennie King writes an op-ed for Tortoise on how far-right extremists are turning their attention online to the alleged threat of the green agenda.
April 30, 2021 | VICE
Far-right activity on Telegram spikes after the death of George Nkencho
In a VICE article which highlights the harmful misinformation spread about George Nkencho and his death by the far-right on Telegram, Aoife Gallagher is quoted on how Telegram has evolved among far-right groups and supporters in Ireland.
April 29, 2021 | USA Today
Amazon Responds to ISD’s research about the Danger of their Algorithm Recommendations
Chloe Colliver speaks to USA Today about the implications of an ISD research investigation which found Amazon’s algorithms recommending potentially harmful content to users.
April 11, 2021 | The Irish Times
Conspiracy Theories, Right-Wing Extremism and Radicalisation
Aoife Gallagher is quoted extensively in an article from The Irish Times about conspiracy theories and theorists in the digital age.
April 9, 2021 | WIRED
Arabic-Language Vaccine Misinformation Spreads Unchecked on Facebook
Moustafa Ayad and Ciarán O'Connor's research on Arabic-language COVID vaccine misinformation on Facebook is exclusively covered by WIRED.
March 29, 2021 | The Times
Irish Users Targeted with Conspiracy Theories Through Facebook Ads
Milo Comerford is quoted in a Times article about the use of Facebook ads to promote conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine content on how the far-right weaponise many conspiracy theories to promote their own ideologies.
March 20, 2021 | BBC Sounds
BBC Sounds Features ISD’s Research on Irish Conspiracy Communities on Facebook
This episode of the BBC Sounds Trending series, "The Anti-Vax Files: How anti-vax went viral," features insight from ISD's Chloe Colliver.
March 1, 2021 | RTÉ Radio 1
Violent Anti-lockdown Protests in Ireland: Aoife Gallagher on RTÉ Radio 1
Aoife Gallagher discusses how the the Gardaí handled anti-lockdown protests in Ireland on Saturday, 27 February, on RTÉ Radio 1.
February 16, 2021 | SPLC
Telegram and the Post-Organisational Extremism Paradigm
An article by the SPLC draws on analysis from ISD to explain the changing dynamics of right-wing extremist activity.
February 10, 2021 | Al Jazeera
Podcast: Aoife Gallagher Discusses QAnon global reach on Al Jazeera’s The Take
Aoife Gallagher features in this episode of Al Jazeera's The Take: 'How did the QAnon conspiracy go global?'
January 28, 2021 | WIRED
Cécile Guerin writes for Wired about the Yoga World, antivaxxers and QAnon believers
Cécile Guerin writes for Wired about the increasing presence of conspiracy theories, anti-vaxx and QAnon narratives in the wellness community over the past year.
January 25, 2021 | Rolling Stone
New QAnon Conspiracies About Trump Spread on TikTok
Aoife Gallagher is quoted in a Rolling Stone article on why the increasing convergence between QAnon and the anti-government Sovereign Citizen movement is highly concerning.
January 18, 2021 | CNN
Chloe Colliver on CNN’s Don Lemon Tonight
ISD's Chloe Colliver speaks on CNN's Don Lemon Tonight about the Capitol Hill riots and the role social media played in the event
January 14, 2021 | POLITICO
Trump’s Post-Jan 6 Speech Fails to Convince MAGA Nation to Back Down
In the wake of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, Chloe Colliver provides insight to POLITICO about the continued concerning activity of right-wing extremists online.
December 29, 2020 | Slate
Amarnath Amarasingam on the Ability of Some Conspiracy Theories to Mitigate Violent Mobilisation
Amarnath Amarasingam outlines how pro-Trump conspiracy theories may have actually discouraged postelection violence in an op-ed for Slate Magazine.
December 18, 2020 | New York Times
QAnon Narratives Spread on Facebook Despite Ban
Research from ISD and NewsGuard about the spread of QAnon narratives on Facebook is exclusively covered by the New York Times, and featured in articles from the Financial Times, Die Welt, Deutschland Funk, Turi2, and La Repubblica, and NBC News.
December 17, 2020 | GNET
Op-ed: Jakob Guhl on Online Extremism in German-Speaking Countries for GNET
Jakob Guhl writes about online extremism in German-speaking countries during the COVID-19 pandemic for the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET).
December 15, 2020 | ABC
Australia’s Far-Left: A Security Threat?
Mario Peucker and ISD's Jacob Davey write for ABC (Australia) on whether Australia’s radical left pose a national security threat.
November 25, 2020 | IEP
Milo Comerford on the Behaviour of Extremist Groups During the Pandemic
Milo's Comerford's article for the Institute of Economics and Peace on the behaviour of extremist groups during the pandemic receives widespread media coverage, including from ITV, Arab News, Euractiv (DE), Metro and The Sun.
November 2, 2020 | The Forward
Chloe Colliver on Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour on Faceboook
Chloe Colliver is quoted in The Forward on coordinated inauthentic behaviour on Faceboook.
October 27, 2020 | Politico
Despite cries of censorship, conservatives dominate social media
ISD's research work featured heavily in this article in Politico on how a small number of conservative users routinely outpace their liberal rivals and traditional news outlets in driving the online conversation.
October 27, 2020 | BBC Newsnight
Chloe Colliver speaks about the virality of disinformation on BBC’s Newsnight
ISD's Chloe Colliver appears on BBC's Newsnight to discuss how disinformation can spread, using the example of a fake announcement promoting the reopening of Woolworths stores in the UK.
October 27, 2020 | NBC News
ISD’s Research on the Funding Strategies of Hate Groups Covered by NBC
NBC News provides exlcusive coverage of the research findings outlined in the new ISD report: Bankrolling Bigotry: An overview of the Online Funding Strategies of American Hate Groups.
October 16, 2020 | The Sun
Aoife Gallagher explains QAnon’s innerworkings for The Sun
In an op-ed for The Sun, Aoife Gallagher explains the QAnon conspiracy theory.
October 8, 2020 | Global News Canada
Mackenzie Hart Talks to Global News Canada About Facebook’s QAnon Ban
Mackenzie Hart discusses Facebook's ban of QAnon-related content on the platform.
October 7, 2020 | The Today Show (NBC)
Aoife Gallagher Discusses QAnon on NBC’s Today Show
Aoife Gallagher explains why QAnon can be considered a 'digital cult' on the Today Show.
October 5, 2020 | The Washington Post
Analysis of the Online Harassment of Politicians Covered by WaPo
The Washington Post provides exclusive coverage of the findings in ISD's new research report: Public Figures, Public Rage: Candidate Abuse on Social Media.
September 11, 2020 | CNN
Farah Pandith on How the Terror Threat has Morphed since 9/11
As we approach another anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, Farah Pandith writes for CNN on how the terror threat in the U.S. has morphed over the last two decades.
September 8, 2020 | BBC Click
Click reveals ISD discovery of huge pro-ISIS online cache
How ISD deputy director Moustafa Ayad discovered one of the largest collections of material belonging to the so-called Islamic State group ever found on the internet.
September 4, 2020 | BBC
Podcast: Aoife Gallagher explains why QAnon is “Going Global”
In the latest episode of the The Real Story, a podcast from the BBC World Service, Aoife Gallagher provides expert opinion on why QAnon is "going global."
August 21, 2020 | First Draft
Coronavirus: How pro-mask posts boost the anti-mask movement
Chloe Colliver is quoted in this article on First Draft by Carlotta Dotto and Lydia Morrish on anti-masker conspiracy theories being amplified by Social Media.
August 11, 2020 | The Beacon
Aoife Gallagher Interviewed by The Beacon on the QAnon Conspiracy Theory
ISD's analysis of the key trends in activity around the QAnon conspiracy theory from 2017 to 2020 features in an article from The Beacon. Aoife Gallagher is quoted on the ongoing popularity of the conspiracy theory as well as the use of QAnon for electoral purposes by the Trump campign.
August 10, 2020 | CNN
A propaganda battle is playing out in the replies to Trump’s tweets
CNN article based on our report on our case study of a pro-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Twitter network.
July 23, 2020 | BBC
QAnon, coronavirus and the conspiracy cult
Aoife Gallagher makes her BBC debut on video report about QAnon, coronavirus and the conspiracy cult.
July 12, 2020 | The Times
Extremists use BBC theme to trick Facebook into showing vile clips
Moustafa Ayad, ISD Deputy Director for Technology, Communications, and Education, is extensively quoted in this article in The Times.
July 7, 2020 | CTED Trends Alert
UN CTED report examines how extreme right-wing groups have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic
In this Update to the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) Trends Alert from April 2020, CTED examines how extreme right-wing groups have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 6, 2020 | BBC
TikTok’s Boogaloo extremism problem
Chloe Oliver, Head of Digital Policy and Strategy at ISD, is quoted in this BBC report on TikTok's problems with extremism.
July 2, 2020 | BBC
Facebook targets ‘false news’ amid growing pressure from advertisers
Chloe Colliver, head of the Digital Research Unit at ISD provides insights to this BBC story on 'False News' propagated on Facebook.
June 30, 2020 | CNN
White supremacists openly organize racist violence on Telegram, report finds
Jakob Guhl talks to CNN about Telegram and its white supremacist problem.
June 30, 2020 | Coda
How Covid-19 spread QAnon in Germany
Jakob Guhl, Coordinator in Policy & Research, contributed to this story on Coda.
June 22, 2020 | ZDF Germany
Undercover im Nazi-Chat
Jakob Guhl, Coordinator in Policy & Research was interviewed for this ZDF exposé of right wing activity on the Telegram chat platform.
May 12, 2020 | POLITICO
Extremists Seizing on the Pandemic to Push their Own Political Agendas
Chloe Colliver is quoted in an POLITICO article about how COVID-19 is providing a global rallying cry for conspiracy theorists and far-right extremists.
May 11, 2020 | BBC Click
How Coronavirus Has Changed The World: Chloe Colliver on BBC Click
Chloe Colliver features in an episode of BBC Click that looks at the rise of disinformation during the coronavirus pandemic.