A program of the Cyber Policy Center, a joint initiative of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Stanford Law School.
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in·ter·net ob·serv·a·to·ry
[ˈin(t)ərˌnet əbˈzərvəˌtôrē] n. a lab housing infrastructure and human expertise for the study of the internet
Takedown: Unheard Voice
Stanford Internet Observatory collaborated with Graphika to analyze a large network of accounts removed from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in our latest report.
Featured News and Publications
My Heart Belongs to Kashmir
An Analysis of a Pro-Indian Army Covert Influence Operation on Twitter
Trust & Safety Research Conference Livestream
The conference will be held at Stanford University September 29-30, 2022.
Pro-Kremlin Twitter Network Takes Aim at Ukraine and COVID-19
Twitter suspended a network of accounts that coordinated to promote narratives around the coronavirus pandemic, and to amplify a pro-Russian news site ahead of the invasion of Ukraine.
Journal of Online Trust and Safety
The Journal of Online Trust and Safety is a no fee, fast peer review, and open access journal. Authors may submit letters of inquiry to assess whether their manuscript is a good fit. The Journal of Online Trust and Safety is now accepting letters of inquiry for its third issue and special issues.
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News
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Playbook shares best practices to combat information manipulation
News / September 17, 2021
The playbook will be launched on Monday 20 September at 9:30am ET.
America’s Anti-Hacking Laws Pose a Risk to National Security
Commentary / September 8, 2021
A new piece in Brookings by Riana Pfefferkorn looks at anti-hacking laws
Topologies and Tribulations of Gettr
Blogs / August 12, 2021
A month in the life of a new alt-network
Announcing the Journal of Online Trust and Safety
News / July 29, 2021
Stanford Internet Observatory launches a new open-access journal to feature cutting-edge research on online harm.
My Heart Loves the Army
Blogs / July 8, 2021
An Investigation into a Jordanian Disinformation Campaign on Facebook, TikTok and Twitter
New Book From Shelby Grossman of Stanford Internet Observatory
News / June 24, 2021
In The Politics of Order in Informal Markets: How the State Shapes Private Governance, Grossman explores findings that challenge the conventional wisdom that private good governance in developing countries thrives when the government keeps its hands off private group affairs.
The Stanford Internet Observatory Turns Two
News / June 7, 2021
SIO releases its two year report summarizing its first two years of research, teaching and policy and laying the path for the years to come.
Can Congress Mandate Meaningful Transparency for Tech Platforms
Blogs / June 2, 2021
When it comes to mitigating online harms, the U.S. Congress is at least united on one point: There is a need for greater transparency from tech companies.
One Face, Many Names: An Investigation into Fake NGOs and Media Outlets Linked to Harouna Douamba on and off Facebook
Blogs / May 6, 2021
A Facebook takedown exposes a network of NGO and media entities linked to Harouna Douamba.
The Threat Posed by Deepfakes to Marginalized Communities
Blogs / April 21, 2021
When we’re faced with a video recording of an event—such as an incident of police brutality—we can generally trust that the event happened as shown in the video. But that may soon change, thanks to the advent of so-called “deepfake” videos that use machine learning technology to show a real person saying and doing things they haven’t.
Sizing Up Self-Harm Policies
Blogs / April 8, 2021
The Stanford Internet Observatory’s latest report compares online platforms’ policies on self-harm content.
New Intermediary Rules Jeopardize the Security of Indian Internet Users
Blogs / March 3, 2021
India' information technology ministry recently finalized a set of rules that the government argues will make online service providers more accountable for their users’ bad behavior. Noncompliance may expose a provider to legal liability from which it is otherwise immune.
Election Integrity Partnership Releases Final Report on Mis- and Disinformation in 2020 U.S. Election
News / March 2, 2021
Researchers from Stanford University, the University of Washington, Graphika and Atlantic Council’s DFRLab released their findings in ‘The Long Fuse: Misinformation and the 2020 Election.’
Analysis of February 2021 Twitter Takedowns
Blogs / February 23, 2021
In this post and in the attached reports we investigate a Twitter network attributed to actors in Armenia, Iran, and Russia.
Clubhouse in China: Is the data safe?
Blogs / February 12, 2021
The audio chat app “Clubhouse” went viral among Chinese-speaking audiences. Stanford Internet Observatory examines whether user data was protected, and why that matters.
Clubhouse在中国：他的数据安全吗？
Blogs / February 12, 2021
语音社交App “Clubhouse”，在中文听众中爆红。斯坦福大学网络观测平台（SIO）调查了这个App的数据是否保护它的用户数据，以及用户数据为何需要被保护。
Staying Current
Blogs / February 9, 2021
An Investigation Into a Suspended Facebook Network Supporting the Leader of the Palestinian Democratic Reform Current
E2EE Workshop Series: Call for Papers and Participants
News / February 3, 2021
Balancing Trust and Safety in an Encrypted World: A workshop series from the Stanford Internet Observatory
Parler's First 13 Million Users
Blogs / January 28, 2021
As Parler gained millions of users - and plenty of notoriety - in recent months, understanding the dynamics of the platform has become an increasing priority. A report by the Stanford Internet Observatory analyzes three Parler datasets to understand a platform designed for non-moderation, and to map its domestic and increasingly international growth.
Q&A with Riana Pfefferkorn, Stanford Internet Observatory Research Scholar
News / January 21, 2021
Riana Pfefferkorn joined the Stanford Internet Observatory as a research scholar in December. She comes from Stanford’s Center for Internet and Society, where she was the Associate Director of Surveillance and Cybersecurity.
How to Investigate Wikipedia: Our Process
Blogs / January 14, 2021
Wikipedia celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. This blog post, the second of two, looks at how open source investigators can conduct research on Wikipedia.
Inauthentic Editing: Changing Wikipedia to Win Elections and Influence People
Blogs / January 7, 2021
Wikipedia celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. This is the first of two blog posts exploring the use, misuse, and ultimate resilience of this open, community-edited platform.
Online Consent Moderation
Blogs / December 18, 2020
New Approaches to Preventing Proliferation of Non-Consensual Intimate Images
Stoking Conflict by Keystroke
Blogs / December 15, 2020
New Facebook takedowns expose networks of Russian-linked assets targeting Libya, Sudan, Syria, and the Central African Republic.
Slanted Narratives, Social Media, and Foreign Influence in Libya
Blogs / November 10, 2020
New working paper assesses the role of foreign influence in Libyan social media