For 20 years, ISD has delivered field-leading threat detection, analysis and real-world strategies to combat terrorism, extremism and authoritarianism - in all their ideological forms.

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.

March 16, 2026

Dangerous narratives: The ecosystem of Germanic New Medicine

This Dispatch explores how key actors spread false and misleading narratives, monetise courses and seminars supported with AI technology.

Information Warfare and Online Manipulation, Public Health

March 16, 2026

‘Germanic New Medicine’ spreads dangerously on Telegram, ISD finds

Commercial Disinformation and Scams, Public Health

April 15, 2025

Toxic beauty amongst men? The rise of ‘looksmaxxing’ fuels a new digital aesthetic industry

Public Health

January 29, 2025

ISD’s Cécile Simmons speaks to AFP about how podcasts spread health misinformation

Public Health, Tech Accountability and Safety

October 25, 2024

How women seeking information about health and wellness are recommended sites that promote election denialism

Far-Right Extremism, Public Health

January 25, 2024

Networks of Dissuasion: Mapping Online Attacks on Reproductive Rights in France

Public Health

January 17, 2024

Mobilisation anti-avortement en France : Quand les réseaux sociaux menacent le droit à l’IVG

Public Health

November 22, 2023

Wellness influencers shift toward anti-climate conspiracies as pandemic subsides

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Hybrid Extremism and Nihilistic Violence, Public Health, Terrorism and Extremism

November 21, 2023

The Irish mis- and disinformation ecosystem has grown and evolved since the pandemic

Anti-LGBTQ+, Anti-Migrant, Far-Right Extremism, Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health, Targeted Threats, Hate and Abuse, Terrorism and Extremism

Further Reading

October 21, 2021

Users circumvent TikTok policies by finding workarounds for publishing toxic content

What makes TikTok so popular is also what makes some its content so toxic among younger users.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health, Tech Accountability and Safety

October 20, 2021

Social media policies against health disinformation aren’t stopping repeat offenders

ISD's Aoife Gallagher spoke to the WaPo about our latest report "Ill Advice: A Case Study in Facebook’s Failure to Tackle COVID-19 Disinformation."

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health, Tech Accountability and Safety

October 19, 2021

Climate change deniers weaponise the pandemic and revel under new conspiracy theory

ISD’s Jennie King spoke with Channel 4 News about our latest report “’Climate lockdown’ and the Culture Wars.”

Climate, Public Health

July 1, 2021

Chloe Colliver on disinformation narratives and risks in the antivaxx movement

ISD’s Chloe Colliver speaks with Newsnight about the risks of radicalisation, and radicalisation toward violence, after prolonged exposure online.

Hybrid Extremism and Nihilistic Violence, Public Health

April 9, 2021

Arabic-language vaccine misinformation spreads unchecked on Facebook

Moustafa Ayad and Ciarán O'Connor's research on Arabic-language COVID vaccine misinformation on Facebook is exclusively covered by WIRED.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health

March 29, 2021

Irish users targeted with conspiracy theories through Facebook ads

Milo Comerford is quoted in a Times article about the use of Facebook ads to promote conspiracy theories.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health

March 20, 2021

BBC Sounds features ISD’s research on Irish conspiracy communities on Facebook

This episode of the BBC Sounds Trending series, "The Anti-Vax Files: How anti-vax went viral," features insight from ISD's Chloe Colliver.

Public Health

March 1, 2021

Violent anti-lockdown protests in Ireland: Aoife Gallagher on RTÉ Radio 1

Aoife Gallagher discusses how the the Gardaí handled anti-lockdown protests in Ireland on Saturday, 27 February, on RTÉ Radio 1.

Public Health

February 5, 2021

The Long Tail of Influence Operations: A Case Study on News Front

This case study examines News Front, a Crimean news source accused of pro-Kremlin disinformation, revealing the broader disinformation ecosystem.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health

February 4, 2021

The yoga world is riddled with anti-vaxxers and QAnon believers

Cécile Simmons reflects on how her roles as an ISD researcher and yoga teacher have blurred over the past year.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, Public Health

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