ISD (Institute for Strategic Dialogue) | LinkedIn (original) (raw)

Think Tanks

Founded in 2006, ISD is now the leading organisation powering solutions to extremism, hate and disinformation globally.

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About us

Founded in 2006, ISD is now the leading global ‘think and do’ tank dedicated to understanding and innovating real-world responses to the rising tide of polarisation, hate and extremism of all forms. We combine anthropological research, expertise in international extremist movements and an advanced digital analysis capability that tracks hate, disinformation and extremism online, with policy advisory support and training to governments and cities around the world. We also work to empower youth and community influencers internationally through our pioneering education, technology and communications programmes. Innovating, trialling and scaling data-driven solutions across our unique networks of community influencers, city and government officials and tech sector partnerships, we work to mount a soft power strategy, proportional in influence and impact to the ever-more sophisticated, cross-border polarisation and recruitment machineries of state and non-state actors promulgating hate, division and conflict.

Industry

Think Tanks

Company size

51-200 employees

Headquarters

London

Type

Nonprofit

Founded

2006

Specialties

counter-extremism, digital analysis, research, youth engagement, education, digital citizenship, government advisory, grassroots network coordination, counter-terrorism, OSINT, and CVE

Locations

Employees at ISD (Institute for Strategic Dialogue)

Updates

ISD tracked a surge in online content glorifying Hitler that received over 50M views across social media in 2024. This is part of a broader rise in historical revisionism and antisemitism following Hamas’ 7 Oct attack, questioning history’s view of Hitler. The rise of Hitler-glorifying content online coincides with an increase in antisemitic discourse, with narratives challenging well-established historical facts, including Hitler’s role in World War II and the Holocaust. On X specifically, analysts found that content glorifying Hitler received 11.2M+ views from just 11 posts in a week, making it more accessible than on other platforms. Posts praising Hitler’s “solution" and using Nazi imagery gained significant traction. Other content included hundreds of AI-translated Hitler speech videos across X, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. On TikTok, the audio was paired with vague imagery to evade moderation, while posts on X, Instagram and YouTube often featured real footage and explicitly noted it was a Hitler speech. Read our latest Digital Dispatch Dispatch here: https://lnkd.in/dM8z27MS
Content glorifying Hitler surges online amid growing historical revisionism https://www.isdglobal.org
The 2023 Dublin riots exposed Ireland’s rising anti-immigrant sentiment. From May to August 2024, ISD recorded 61 incidents of violence, intimidation or harassment, 90% of which were posted by users online to gain ‘clout’ and incite others. In one video, a young woman of colour, born and raised in Waterford, Ireland, was punched in the face on a tram in Dublin. Her attacker told her to “go back to [her] country.” Our analysis found numerous other instances of users posting videos online to harass or intimidate migrants or individuals perceived as immigrants. Far-right actors were found to encourage this, driving others to record, post online to gain ‘clout’ and inspire others. These attacks are often driven by rumors, falsehoods and racist tropes spread online, as covered in previous ISD analysis. These trends have increased in both frequency and severity, often leading to offline confrontations. Social media platforms and the Gardaí are failing to act against users posting violent content under their real names. This inaction fosters vigilantism, as far-right agitators feel emboldened to encourage targeting migrants. The full report below. https://lnkd.in/dXxBK2H3
Clout, kicks and clicks: Analysing the surge in anti-migrant harassment and violence in Ireland https://www.isdglobal.org
In late 2023, a neo-Nazi group surfaced on Telegram, claiming to be a more extreme armed wing of Patriot Front, a well-known American white nationalist group. However, ISD analysts have assessed that this group may not be real at all. ISD researchers investigated the group's rhetoric, posts, and membership, concluding that this isn’t an authentic, independent group but rather a thinly veiled attempt by neo-Nazi accelerationist factions to recruit and radicalize members from more mainstream nationalist groups. Before adopting the guise of a Patriot Front offshoot, the group attempted to mimic other extremist movements, ultimately settling on this latest iteration, which bears the hallmarks of accelerationist influence. Accelerationist movements often target disillusioned white nationalists, particularly those frustrated by the limits of mainstream activism. This could represent the latest effort to recruit these individuals for more violent and extreme causes. While the group's direct impact on Patriot Front may be limited, it’s indicative of a broader strategy by accelerationists to further radicalize existing nationalist groups and incite violence. Accelerationist groups don’t need large numbers; their strategy revolves around creating disproportionate fear and impact through propaganda and intimidation tactics. Co-opting Patriot Front’s audience and radicalizing its members is a key part of their approach. Read more about ISD’s investigation here: https://lnkd.in/dbpryXQV
Alleged Patriot Front offshoot may be astroturfed by neo-Nazi accelerationists https://www.isdglobal.org
White nationalist Nick Fuentes directed his ‘Groyper’ fanbase to wage an online “war” against the Trump campaign, hoping it would cave to their pressure. They got none of what they wanted but may have broken platform rules. For “Groyper War II”, Fuentes and his fans targeted Truth Social and X during a live Trump/Musk interview on August 12. On a concurrent Rumble stream, Fuentes told fans to boost his posts and promote four distinct phrases. Some briefly trended on Truth Social and X. The success was short-lived, as was the attention it generated for Fuentes. The Trump campaign disregarded the Groyper War, making Fuentes’ efforts so far a failure. Now, Fuentes is telling fans to prepare to engage in offline activities in Michigan. His plans remain unclear. The Groypers' tactics fit definitions of “coordinated inauthentic behavior.” While platforms like Meta/X have acted against such tactics, Fuentes’ war has evaded scrutiny, potentially encouraging others ahead of the election. Read the full Dispatch below. https://lnkd.in/dBsgpiAM
A ‘Groyper War’ struggles to exert influence but paves the way for other bad actors https://www.isdglobal.org
As we enter the final stages of a volatile election, social media’s role is more crucial than ever. Our new report examines how platforms are responding to this pivotal moment. The report takes an in-depth look at Meta, X, YouTube, Snap, and TikTok, analyzing the effectiveness of their current policies and how closely they adhere to their own guidelines. Despite promoting policies on misinformation, AI-generated content, and extremism, ISD found that many of these policies remain vague and are easily circumvented. Additionally, a lack of transparency makes it difficult to assess whether enforcement is consistent. Our comparative analysis breaks down platform policies on extremism, hate speech, transparency, political ads, and state media. Based on this thorough examination, our researchers made several recommendations, including lowering access barriers for independent researchers, producing timely reports on foreign influence, and providing more clarity on internal platform resourcing. Read it here: https://ow.ly/RbMm50Tr7p8However, policies are only effective if they are enforced. We will continue to monitor how well platforms uphold their guidelines throughout the election and release ongoing reports on key topics. We’ve just published our first investigation in this vein, examining AI regulations. Read it here: https://ow.ly/9VOy50Tr7p7In an era where platforms wield incredible influence, it’s essential to understand exactly what actions they are or aren’t taking. https://ow.ly/MvVE50Tr7pa
US Election Platform Preparedness https://www.isdglobal.org

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ISD (Institute for Strategic Dialogue) | LinkedIn (original) (raw)

Think Tanks

Founded in 2006, ISD is now the leading organisation powering solutions to extremism, hate and disinformation globally.

About us

Locations

Employees at ISD (Institute for Strategic Dialogue)

Updates

Join now to see what you are missing

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