Latest

A Safe Space to Hate: White Supremacist Mobilisation on Telegram

For this research, ISD’s digital analysis unit have been monitoring a network of 208 channels distributing white supremacist content on the encrypted messaging platform Telegram. In an analysis of over a million posts, this briefing unpacks how the platform is being used to glorify terrorism, call for violence, spread extremist ideological material and demonise minority groups.

An Online Environmental Scan of Right-wing Extremism in Canada

ISD researchers have assessed the scale of Canadian right-wing extremist activity across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, 4chan, Gab, Fascist Forge and Iron March. Over the next year we will analyse extremism on these platforms in more detail, and incorporate additional digital forums into our study. This represents one of the most comprehensive efforts to date to assess the scale of right-wing extremist activity online in Canada.

Algorithm Inspection and Regulatory Access

Algorithms play a central role in social media platforms – and may contribute to systemic, structural challenges to democracy and human rights. As identified in the White Paper, through their decisions around the design of algorithms, the platforms have a significant impact on citizens’ rights to information and free expression, our rights not to be discriminated against or abused, and core democratic values.

Young Digital Leaders: 2019 Curriculum English

The Young Digital Leaders curriculum consists of five sessions targeted at students aged 12-15 years old. In line with the Council of Europe definition of digital citizenship, the curriculum aims to support students.

Digital Citizenship Education: Programming Toolkit

This toolkit has been designed as a resource for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) whose missions focus on education, youth engagement, digital citizenship, online safety and/or social cohesion. Education practitioners working directly with young people in schools or youth centres may find aspects useful too.

The Online Ecosystem of the German Far-Right

This report presents the findings of a research project of ISD’s Digital Analysis Unit about the alternative online-ecosystem of the far-right, including alternative social media platforms and alternative media outlets.

YouthCAN: The Many States of Activism

To help address the need for a more robust and youth-inclusive evidence base, ISD conducted a survey that was completed by 728 young activists globally to find out which barriers and opportunities had been most significant to their activism journey, as well as which skills they valued most.

Extracts From ISD’s Submitted Response to the UK Government Online Harms White Paper

On 8th April 2019, the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) released its much-anticipated Online Harms White Paper, setting out a range of proposed legislative and non-legislative measures to tackle online harms ranging from illegal (e.g. terrorist content) through to harmful but not necessarily illegal online behaviour.