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This week ISD released a new report detailing the depth and breadth of the ecosystem of pro-Islamic State 'media outlets' across social media. Our study, "The Terror Times", authored by Moustafa Ayad, ISD Executive Director for Africa, Middle East and Asia, and researchers Nadeem Khan and Aymenn al-Tamimi, found 38 outlets across Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram, with a collective following of 108,268. Some of the posts from these pages had garnered over a million views in a year, a number far larger than their following, indicating their propaganda has spread much wider than their core audience.
This report details the resilience mechanisms pro-Islamic State outlets are using to remain online despite the moderation efforts of social media companies. It also provides key recommendations for how both tech companies and governments can tackle the problem of terrorist propaganda being spread online.
Read the full report.
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Unpicking pro-Kremlin attempts to link the Baltic States with Nazism
The final Dispatch in our series dissecting pro-Kremlin narratives examines the distortion and oversimplification of the history of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia— states that the Kremlin tries to discredit as ‘neo-Nazi’ and ‘fascist’. By monitoring influential pro-Kremlin English Twitter accounts, ISD has found these narratives exploit legitimate and complex concerns of Russian populations in the Baltics, that originate from their history of totalitarianism under the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
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The conversation about Australia’s Indigenous Voice to Parliament is at risk from disinformation and conspiracy theories
Australia is on the cusp of voting for a constitutional referendum that would create a representative body for Indigenous Australians in Parliament, but a lack of official information is creating space for wild conspiracies that could influence the outcome. ISD OSINT Analyst Elise Thomas advocates the importance of ensuring the referendum is framed with clear, sound information, and the risk of conspiracies filling an information void.
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It's back to school season and ISD is looking for teens 13-18 years old in the UK to help us evaluate YouTube’s REFRAME Series by watching 10 videos & answering a few questions.
Think you know someone who can be of help?
Please forward to your wider networks. More information available here.
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Senior Manager Jared Holt was interviewed by CBS's Face the Nation, discussing the role of the Internet as an "accelerator and a multiplier" in spreading extremist content. “As long as the business model of the internet is built around trying to captivate audiences [...] whether that’s through rage or diehard support. It’s going to be in conflict with democracy," he said.
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ABC News' Martha Raddatz asked White House adviser, and former Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, about ISD's findings following Biden's primetime speech on the threat to democracy. Listen to what she had to say here.
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Insider has used ISD research to report on the surge of homophobic slurs online attempting to link the LGBTQ+ community to monkeypox cases in children on Twitter.
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Locals in countries with authoritarian governments tend to trust news shared via social media more than their state-backed outlets. This is exactly how Russia is taking control of the info war over Ukraine in the Middle East. ISD's ED for AMEA, Moustafa Ayad, talks to DW about it.
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Join our team to counter hate, extremism and disinformation on a global scale
ISD is seeking exceptional applicants for a Head of MENA Hub, a MENA Network Officer and a MENA Programme Lead in Morocco, Tunisia or Jordan.
ISD Germany is also accepting applications for a Project Finance Coordinator/Associate and an EU Grants Manager.
If you would like to know more about upcoming opportunities or submit a speculative application, please visit our careers portal below.
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Help ISD safeguard democracy
We have been committed to the fight against hate, extremism, polarisation and disinformation for over 15 years and it's all thanks to support from people like you. As an independent, non-profit organisation, our work is reliant on grants and donations to stay on the forefront of analysing and responding to threats to democracy in all their forms.
By donating to ISD, your contribution will ensure we can continue to analyse, advise, and act to create stronger, more cohesive societies. Join us by donating at the link below.
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