IO - Home
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
The Stanford Internet Observatory Turns Two
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.
Featured News and Publications
Takedown: Fake accounts target the Central African Republic
The Stanford Internet Observatory’s latest report compares online platforms’ policies on self-harm content.
Election Integrity Partnership Releases Final Report on Mis- and Disinformation in 2020 U.S. Election
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.’
Clubhouse in China: Is the data safe?
The audio chat app “Clubhouse” went viral among Chinese-speaking audiences. Stanford Internet Observatory examines whether user data was protected, and why that matters.
Subscribe to Stanford Internet Observatory News
Sign up to receive notification of our latest blog posts and reports.
News
Filter:
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
Blog / 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
Blog / 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
Blog / 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...
Sizing Up Self-Harm Policies
Blog / 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
Blog / 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...
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
Blog / 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在中国：他的数据安全吗？
Blog / 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。
Clubhouse in China: Is the data safe?
Blog / 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.
Staying Current
Blog / 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
Blog / 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...
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...
How to Investigate Wikipedia: Our Process
Blog / 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
Blog / 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
Blog / December 18, 2020
New Approaches to Preventing Proliferation of Non-Consensual Intimate Images
Stoking Conflict by Keystroke
Blog / 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
Blog / November 10, 2020
New working paper assesses the role of foreign influence in Libyan social media
The Threat of Foreign Influence Operations
Blog / October 23, 2020
A new SIO-Lawfare debate series argues the questions: What is the impact of foreign influence operations targeting the United States? Is public conversation commensurate with the threat level?
Analysis of an October 2020 Facebook Takedown Linked to the Islamic Movement in Nigeria
Blog / October 8, 2020
In this post and in the attached report we investigate an operation that called for the release from prison of Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
Analysis of an October 2020 Facebook Takedown Linked to U.S. Political Consultancy Rally Forge
Blog / October 8, 2020
An astroturfing operation involving fake accounts (some with AI-generated images) that left thousands of comments on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Clients included Turning Point Action and...
Analysis of Twitter Takedowns Linked to Cuba, the Internet Research Agency, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand
Blog / October 8, 2020
In this post and in the attached reports we investigate operations linked to youth organizations with ties to the Cuban government, the Internet Research Agency, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the...