The Institute for Strategic Dialogue is a charitable company in the UK limited by guarantee (registered charity number 1141069, registered company number 06581421). 

Founded in 2006, security and counter extremism has always been a focus for the institution. Since 2014, ISD has focused fully on analysing and countering extremism, hate and disinformation in the UK and overseas. Our team is comprised of researchers, digital analysts, policy specialists and educators committed to safeguarding human rights and countering the forces undermining democracy and social cohesion globally. 

Today, ISD UK stands as a leading authority on extremism in the UK, offering research, policy analysis and expertise that drives evidence-based, human rights-centred counter-extremism strategies. Our work covers a breadth of topics and ideologies. Examples of current and recent work include:

Investigating pro-Kremlin ecosystems in Europe: ISD and CASM Technology are jointly conducting research on the links between pro-Kremlin disinformation and domestic extremist and conspiracist communities in France, Germany and Italy. The next iteration of this project will expand the study to Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, three countries recently targeted by Russian influence campaigns aimed at reducing support for Ukraine and discrediting both national and EU institutions. The project seeks to map pro-Kremlin ecosystems across social media, identifying the specific narratives, actors and tactics used within each national information environment. Through this study, and in collaboration with the leading European news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), the project will enable a deeper examination of pro-Kremlin information operations’ effects across Western and Eastern Europe. 

Tracking & Mitigating Disinformation Relating to the Israel-Gaza War: In the immediate aftermath of the October 7 attack, ISD sought to measure and understand the spread of hate and polarisation on social media. Analysts worked with partners at CASM 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.

Supporting communities at risk of hateful attacks: ISD works with Jewish and Muslim communities, government and law enforcement to understand and mitigate rising levels of antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate. Following the 7 October attacks, there have been surges in harmful activity online and offline, frequently driven by conspiracy theories and disinformation and amplified by a range of actors globally including established terrorist and violent extremist networks, as well as hostile state actors. Gaining a deeper understanding of disinformation narratives, the networks spreading it, and the tactics and platforms used, are essential for mitigating harm. Leveraging ISD’s expertise in research tracking online disinformation, hate speech and extremism, we are working to understand how a range of different actors exploit the ongoing Israel-Gaza crisis and to track the narratives, tactics, and strategies used to spread disinformation. 

Tackling Extremism and Disinformation in Ireland: Since 2021, ISD UK has examined key issues in Ireland. This work begain with research on the far-right use of Telegram and the evolution of the anti-lockdown movement, which unified various online groups into a hybridized threat. In November 2023, ISD released a landmark three-part study on Ireland’s mis- and disinformation ecosystem, which gained immediate relevance when falsehoods and anti-migrant hate online fuelled rioting in Dublin city centre following a stabbing incident involving children. ISD analysts took part in dozens of media interviews in the period following the riots, providing expert commentary on what led to the violence and the role of social media in fanning the flames. In 2024, ISD UK monitored online activity during local and EU elections, documenting rising political violence and identifying an Irish misinformation hub spreading false claims of electoral interference. 

Analysis on the Southport riots: The July 2024 stabbing attack in Southport, England, sparked anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hate, extremism, and violence in cities across the UK including Liverpool, Hull, Blackpool, Bristol, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and Belfast. ISD’s rapid analysis of the riots tracked how misinformation and hate speech on social media platforms X and Telegram not only expanded online networks but also mobilised offline riots and fuelled far-right violence. ISD UK analysts were featured in dozens of national and international media interviews including the Guardian, Sky News, the Financial Times, CNN and more, offering expert analysis of the situation both online and on the ground. ISD researchers also highlighted the need for long-term comprehensive policy measures to address far-right violence, advocating for a renewed counter-extremism strategy and stronger social media regulations.