ISD Uk

Founded in 2006, ISD UK focuses on national security, counter-extremism and threat analysis. Our team is comprised of researchers, digital analysts, policy specialists and educators committed to safeguarding human rights and  countering the forces undermining democratic practices and social cohesion globally. 

ISD UK is a leading authority on extremism in the UK, offering research, policy analysis and expertise that drives evidence-based, human rights-centred counter-extremism strategies.

Sector-leading research on extremism, hate and influence operations

ISD UK’s cutting-edge research examines the drivers and impact of all forms of extremism, hate and influence operations in the UK. Examples of our recent programming include ISD UK’s rapid analysis of the 2024 anti-Muslim and anti-migrant riots across the UK, where our team tracked how misinformation and hate speech on social media platforms X and Telegram  expanded online networks, mobilised offline riots and fuelled far-right violence. Our analysts were featured in dozens of national and international media interviews including the Guardian, Sky News, the Financial Times, CNN and more. We have continued to track surging anti-migrant hate in the UK and Ireland through 2025, with analysis of changing narratives including increasing calls for mass deportations and ‘remigration’. 

In the immediate aftermath of the 7 October attacks in 2023, and the subsequent Israel-Hamas Conflict, ISD sought to measure and understand the spread of hate and polarisation on social media. Analysts worked with partners to train bespoke automated hate speech detection software to understand the nuances and implicit nature of online conflict-related hate. Our analysis found a 51-fold increase in the volume of online antisemitism and 43-fold rise in anti-Muslim hate in YouTube comments on videos about the conflict. Our Digital Analysis Unit continues to pioneer innovative research approaches to mapping the long-term impact of the conflict across communities. 

Since 2022, we have worked with CASM Technology to research the links between pro-Kremlin disinformation and domestic extremist and conspiracist communities across Europe, to understand the Russian influence campaigns aimed at reducing support for Ukraine and discrediting both national and EU institutions. This work seeks to map pro-Kremlin ecosystems across social media, identifying specific narratives, actors and tactics used within each national information environment. 

Support for Communities and Institutions

ISD UK has pioneered civic funding and support partnerships that have boosted the capacity of hundreds of civil society organizations to tackle hate and extremism head on. This includes the £1m ISD Innovation Fund, launched in 2017 across the UK, and the Shared Endeavour Fund, launched in 2020 in partnership with the City of London. These programs, supported by Google.org and others, have provided a roadmap to better coordination and impact across public and private sectors.

ISD has also worked with Jewish and Muslim communities, governments, companies, universities, and law enforcement to understand and mitigate rising levels of antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate. Following the 7 October attacks, we have tracked surges in harmful activity online and offline, frequently driven by conspiracy theories and disinformation and amplified by a global range of actors including established terrorist and violent extremist networks, as well as hostile state actors.

ISD UK has been a leading institution analysing work on threats to elections and democratic processes in Ireland. In 2024, our analysts monitored online activity during local and EU elections, documenting rising political violence and identifying an Irish misinformation hub spreading false claims of electoral interference. During the elections the following year, ISD UK found widespread misleading narratives targeting both the electoral process and the candidates.

Trusted Policy Partner

ISD UK’s analysis has consistently informed concrete proposals for comprehensive policy measures to respond to the mainstreaming of extremism across government, outlining strategies for human rights-based approaches to prevention, intervention and regulation. 

Counter-terror infrastructure built in the early 2000s to counter formalised Islamist terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda faces ever greater challenges from more amorphous groups across the ideological spectrum, nihilistic violence, and hybrid operations linked to hostile state actors. ISD UK remains at the forefront of tracking these changing threats and shaping policy to better respond to them. Our research has provided data-driven evidence for the social media regulator Ofcom around online terrorism, extremism and targeted hate in the UK, informing the implementation of the Online Safety Act.