Digital Analysis Unit
ISD’s Digital Analysis Unit is dedicated to better understanding how extremist and hate groups use technology.
ISD understands that the rise of social media has revolutionised our ability to research extremist groups. Working with strategic technology partners, our team of analysts use social listening and natural language processing tools, OSINT techniques and rigorous ethnographic research to develop a real-time understanding of extremist networks, movements and narratives.
The Digital Analysis Unit has the most advanced open source online data analytics, risk identification, audience targeting and evaluation capabilities available in the counter-extremism and disinformation domains. We are able to analyse specific types of hate speech online and trace where this speech comes from. We also use commercial tools that aggregate social media data to analyse broad trends that may be influenced by hateful groups and disinformation.
We use these insights to help policymakers and tech companies craft informed policy responses to hate and disinformation, and to help communities mount responses at the local level.
Our Hate Mapper allows us to identify hateful, polarising and divisive discourse and geo-locate online posts to state, county or city level. This provides granular insights to local practitioners, enabling them to target their responses.
Our tech stack of social listening tools, AI and dashboards are specifically tailored to understanding extremist movements, hate speech and disinformation.
Our technology allows us to better understand how bad actors leverage social media to recruit and spread propaganda and disinformation online.
Our Elections Analysis Unit identifies the ways disinformation and hate intersect online, particularly in the context of elections.
Our strategic partnership with the Centre for Analysis of Social Media (CASM LLP) blends our subject-matter expertise with advanced and evolving technology, ensuring we can understand and adapt to new platforms and technologies as they emerge.
ISD’s Digital Analysis Unit

Milo Comerford
Senior Manager, Policy & Research

Milo Comerford
Senior Manager, Policy & Research

Chloe Colliver
Head of Digital Policy and Strategy


Jacob Davey
Senior Research Manager, Far Right & Hate Crime


Cooper Gatewood
Manager, Digital Research

Cooper Gatewood
Manager, Digital Research

Cécile Guerin
Coordinator, Technology, Communications & Education

Cécile Guerin
Coordinator, Technology, Communications & Education

Jakob Guhl
Coordinator, Policy & Research

Jakob Guhl
Coordinator, Policy & Research

Mackenzie Hart
Associate, Research & Policy

Mackenzie Hart
Associate, Research & Policy

Jennie King
Senior Policy Manager, Technology, Communications & Education

Jennie King
Senior Policy Manager, Technology, Communications & Education