Information Warfare and Online Manipulation
Information operations are coordinated efforts by state or non-state actors to manipulate or influence public opinion through the spread of disinformation, misinformation, propaganda and other deceptive tactics.
Disinformation is false, misleading or manipulated content presented as fact, that is intended to deceive or harm. Misinformation is false, misleading or manipulated content presented as fact, irrespective of an intent to deceive.
ISD is at the forefront of identifying state and non-state actor information manipulation. Our global work has mitigated attempts to harm or manipulate audiences across social media platforms, through emerging crises, conflicts and elections. Our team has detected, analysed and exposed disinformation, misinformation and manipulative online tactics on five continents since 2019. ISD emphasises evidencing the impact of influence efforts on democracies and the failings of tech companies to restrict such efforts.
Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference
Democratic societies face a barrage of influence operations from foreign state actors that threaten election integrity, national security and individual rights. ISD is a world leader in identifying, analysing, exposing and combating Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), identifying networks of pro-Kremlin, pro-Chinese and pro-Iranian influence that is manipulative in character and conducted in an intentional and coordinated manner. Actors of such activity can be state or non-state actors, including their proxies inside and outside of their own territory.
Democratic Integrity
ISD works to detect threats to democracy and democratic institutions around the world. Recent work includes safeguarding election integrity in the United States, the UK, Germany, Canada, France, Kenya, Australia, Ireland and Poland. Our work informs capacity-building efforts for civil society, briefings for national, state and local authorities, and expert testimony for federal committees on threats to democratic processes.
Public Health
ISD conducts research to understand the impact of information operations on public health. We focus on identifying false and misleading online content about medical conditions and procedures, and the networks engaged in spreading it. We have extensively documented attempts to spread disinformation around sexual and reproductive health as well as vaccinations. ISD produces regular analysis and commentary on the effects of health crises on governance, social polarisation, the information landscape and political discourse.
Climate
The spread of conspiracy theories about climate change threatens to erode trust in government institutions and undermine international responses to the climate emergency. Our analysis has also identified how foreign actors seek to exploit natural disasters to promote their own narratives, threatening relief efforts and harming communities exposed to the impacts of climate change. ISD works to support policymakers, civil society groups and others to combat false narratives about climate change.
