Last week ISD's Head of Digital Integrity, Jiore Craig, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Administration on the growing threat of election disinformation from foreign and domestic sources. Domestic disinformation targeting voters remains a substantial threat to democracy. It is critical for platforms and policymakers to address systemic failures rather than focusing on content alone.
Jiore told Congress, "We cannot just debate which meme is more rooted in fact, or we will stay frozen in false debate around content where only those benefitting from disinformation win and the American people lose. We need to debate which systems at play in disinformation should change to end the downward spiral of trust that Americans have started to have in their own democracy and even more important, in each other".
The full hearing, including Jiore’s statement and answers to questions by members of the Committee, is available on ISD's website.
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Propaganda primping: The ‘Kremlinistas’ of Twitter
Sex sells. It also sells propaganda. This Dispatch unearths a set of accounts spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda narratives in Arabic, using stolen photos of conventionally attractive female influencers.
Read coverage on POLITICO.
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Iraqi gun sales on Facebook: The very real consequences of moderation failures
Despite Facebook’s claims that private gun sales are prohibited, ISD has unearthed subsantial pages enabling Iraqi citizens to purchase weapons with ease. Of the more than 7.6 million firearms circulating in Iraq, contributing to its extreme rate of violent gun deaths, many are available to purchase through Facebook.
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The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on French-speaking fringe communities online
This investigation analyses how four disinformation-pushing communities reacted to the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war. It highlights the similarities and differences in the content they produced and shared about the invasion.
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RT articles are finding their way to European audiences – but how?
ISD reveals evidence of Russian state media circumventing EU bans. RT narratives discriminating against Ukrainian refugees is circulating across the web, reaching European audiences in a variety of languages.
Read coverage at El País.
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Researching the evolving online ecosystem: barriers, methods and future challanges
Our new report with CASM Technology, funded by the Omidyar Network, maps online spaces used by extremist, hate and disinformation actors as they move away from mainstream platforms.
Along with the full report, an executive summary and annex are also available.
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The 2022 French elections expose the divisions wrought by the pandemic
Far-left and far-right actors played a critical role in disseminating election disinformation through networks established during the pandemic. Our latest report from ISD France identifies the four main groups responsible. It is available in English and French as well as a summary Dispatch.
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Disparities in content moderation between the West and Middle East is making the fast-growing Arabic social media space a ‘Wild West’ for unchecked disinformation. ISD's Executive Director for Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Moustafa Ayad, talks about it with POLITICO.
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How do protests in the Netherlands become weaponised by the US far right? ISD Senior Analyst Katherine Keneally explains to the AD how issues a continent away resonate with political figures including former president Trump.
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The grip QAnon conspiracies had on US society may be fading, but the beliefs that were pushed by the movement still rally supporters behind right-wing candidates. ISD Senior Research Manager Jared Holt speaks to the New York Times about what this means ahead of the 2022 primaries.
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Jared Holt also spoke to Axios about why, no matter who owns it, Twitter faces a complex set of global challenges: "the fact of the matter is in most of the world, [Twitter] can't operate as a free-speech utopia platform".
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Join our team to counter hate, extremism and disinformation on a global scale
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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