Great feature with some thoughts from me; "The undermining of democratic institutions on display in these groups echoed fascist methods used throughout history..they are trying to undermine institutions of truth, facts & education because that is what’s standing in their way–an informed citizenry"

The @theguardian.com spent a year studying some of the largest far-right extremist groups on FB. Great feature. My take; “Fascists are trying to undermine institutions of truth, facts & education because that's what’s standing in their way–an informed citizenry” www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...

Why Misinformation Must Not Be Ignored Quite proud of this paper, which just received the journal's APA Editor's Choice award 😊 Big thanks to my coauthors Li Qian Tay, Jon Roozenbeek, @profsanderlinden.bsky.social, John Cook, @naomioreskes.bsky.social, and @lewan.bsky.social

Today, @caltech.edu's Mitchell Linegar presented "The Persuasiveness of #AI: AI Interventions Increase Confidence in #ElectionIntegrity" at @stanfordcyber.bsky.social's Trust & Safety Research Conference. Mitchell Linegar, Betsy Sinclair, @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social @profsanderlinden.bsky.social

If you're looking to do a PhD on a timely subject, I'm on the advisory board of a cool new project; "When Lies Take Root: Investigating the Impact of Misinformation on Those at Risk" at the top-ranked Amsterdam School of Communication Research/ Do share & apply: werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...

Farage is not just using the same playbook as Trump - there was another false rumour in Ohio that immigrants were eating waterfowl-it's a direct lift. False stories of immigrants eating pets date back to the early 19th century (see below). Shameful propaganda. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Congratulations to @yarakyrychenko.bsky.social for being short-listed as a finalist for the Women of the Future Awards in AI! Yara is a massively brilliant scholar so proud 👏 🥳 "For eighteen years, the awards have shone a light on trailblazing women" awards.womenofthefuture.co.uk/our-alumni-c...

When our outrage translates into withholding our consumer dollars, a big corporation like Disney is forced to listen – and respond. Next time you’re feeling powerless, remember this.

Jimmy Kimmel is back! “Efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation for their speech strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.” www.nbcnews.com/business/med...

No evidence of association between Charlie Kirk shooting and left-wing groups so far, according to officials. Interesting chart here in the NBC piece of ideology and domestic terrorism, 70% comes from far-right groups. www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

Call for Papers, 2026 Cambridge Disinformation Summit Research on systemic risks from technology that affects information streams or the amplification or monetization of disinformation. www.linkedin.com/pulse/call-p...

I've written to Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, urging them to join me in condemning Elon Musk's dangerous remarks inciting violence yesterday. As leaders, we must stand together and make clear Musk will face serious consequences for these actions.

And to keep up with the latest, I recommend following @profsanderlinden.bsky.social and checking out his book Foolproof wwnorton.com/books/978039... and @matthewfacciani.bsky.social and his many resources and book Misguided cup.columbia.edu/book/misguid...

In this new Commentary in @natclimate.nature.com, I reflect on the recent focus on truth discernment in #misinfo research and argue that this outcome alone may not be beneficial to society if interventions do not improve behaviour and other outcomes because... 1/ www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Folks making submissions to the Senate Committee inquiring into "the prevalence and impacts of misinformation and disinformation which relates to climate change and energy" (due 12 Sep), you might like to check out the publication below

The disinformers know what they are doing, undermining science acceptance to make few more bucks before the climate collapses and takes us with it.

In a new paper we show how misinformation derails support for public action on climate change by casting doubt on the scientific consensus (which undermines public opinion). Disinformers attack expert consensus because they know it works. Free: bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Our recent paper on improving AOT and reducing #misinformation susceptibility with prebunking (@rakoenmaertens.bsky.social @profsanderlinden.bsky.social et al.) was picked up by @psypost.bsky.social! www.psypost.org/a-simple-cog...

Illinois Governor Pritzker appears to be engaging in a prebunking “inoculation” strategy similar to that recommended by @profsanderlinden.bsky.social in his book Foolproof.

I have landed jet aircraft thousands of times using "paper maps," so it's not as dangerous as it sounds. However, this illustrates another anecdote of hybrid warfare by mafia state actors, as I discussed recently in European Parliament. www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3QK...

FYI www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Britain goes to war with the cesspit of the internet. 4chan has filed a lawsuit in the US against Ofcom's regulatory authority. www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...

Important reading as you prepare for your semester

New work by @brendannyhan.bsky.social & @jasonreifler.bsky.social shows further evidence of positive impact of prebunking This is why EIP wrote What to Expect rumor guides for certain periods in elections! And it’s why election deniers reframe this as “brainwashing” www.science.org/content/arti...

New study by @brendannyhan.bsky.social, @jasonreifler.bsky.social & colleagues demonstrates that prebunking election fraud rumors — by warning about anticipated false claims & filling conceptual gaps that those claims exploit — helps to reduce belief in falsehoods: www.science.org/content/arti...

"University of Cambridge psychologist Sander van der Linden, who has pioneered the inoculation approach, is impressed...some of the effect sizes are modest, but then the biggest effects are actually amongst those who have the most influential misperceptions” he says. www.science.org/content/arti...

Fascinating new study in @science.org shows that prebunking improves *discernment* of election misinformation with biggest effects among Reps with greatest initial misperceptions about election fraud & lowest trust in the election. Prebunking outperformed debunking. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

The new academic year is almost here – could your next career move be at Cambridge? 💼 Explore over 150 vacancies across our academic and professional services on our brand-new website 👉 https://bit.ly/45ANWNS

Just published on Medium: Combating the Infodemic. Personal experience as an Iranian: I’ve felt overwhelmed by headlines during the recent Iran–Israel war—proof of how framing shapes what we feel + believe. Based on brilliant research of @profsanderlinden.bsky.social medium.com/@elnaz.karam...

1/ I'd like to acknowledge one of the few social media influencers doing useful work, and not seeking to monetize their social media presence.

🚨The misinformation crisis = top concern for many. What’s the top threat facing your country? Europeans in 5 countries say it’s fake news online www.euronews.com/next/2025/08... "Globally, concerns around fake news online have been high for years."

New paper! Across two experiments we find prebunking against *failure* to engage in Actively-Open Minded Thinking (AOT) lowers susceptibility to misinformation & conspiracy thinking via enhanced AOT. Led by the brilliant @mikeybiddlestone.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Our article "Norm-enhanced prebunking for actively open-minded thinking indirectly improves misinformation discernment and reduces conspiracy beliefs" has now been published open access in JESP! @rakoenmaertens.bsky.social @profsanderlinden.bsky.social authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S00… 🧵👇

Can we vaccinate against brainwashing? Pleasure doing this campaign on #inoculation against misinfo for the WHO! Watch me apply manipulation tactics to myself! Incoherence: Sander is totally incompetent but also responsible for a complex global plot to control the information space, remarkable!

Example of a false dilemma fallacy that may lead the influencer’s audience to engage in suboptimal risk-taking. www.logicallyfallacious.com/logicalfalla...

New study finds that a short game teaching players how to spot manipulation techniques common in vaccine misinformation made them better at recognizing false claims and more cautious about what they shared online. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Can a game stop vaccine misinformation? This one just might theconversation.com/can-a-game-s... by @profsanderlinden.bsky.social et al Prebunking works! Let's stop the spread of harmful bunk. Key: "Empowering the public to identify pseudoscience, misdirection, & manipulation..."

Can a game stop misinformation about vaccination? Unlikely but we sure as heck won't stop trying! Bad Vaxx in @theconversation.com theconversation.com/can-a-game-s...

Gamifying the fight against dangerous medical misinformation.

Today we release BAD VAXX-a new game that PREBUNKS misinfo about vaccines. Step into the shoes of "Ann McDotal" who loves to float scary anecdotes & "Dr Forge" the pseudosciensist. We find the game boosts people's ability to better *discern* information manipulation! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A case study on rage-farming and how corporations should counter it from @profsanderlinden.bsky.social and me: False claims of flight safety risks from DEI hiring of United Airlines pilots. @promarket.bsky.social www.promarket.org/2024/02/06/h...

Meta AI's chatbot 'Big sis Billie' not only pretended to be a real person-they invited an elderly vulnerable man to come visit them in NY. The man fell & died during his trip. According to internal docs, accuracy of AI is not a concern for Meta. Wildly inappropriate www.reuters.com/investigates...

Facts alone rarely change beliefs - just ask @profsanderlinden.bsky.social and @davidmcraney.bsky.social Beliefs form part of social identity. And tribal psychology suggests that an in-group will first and foremost trust their own experts, not those from an out-group.

We're pressing on at @plosclimate.org - misinformation and climate change, two of the most important challenges of our time! We now have a special collection I'm supporting with no deadline given that this will be an on-going issue. Do submit your work 👇 latitude.plos.org/2025/08/plos...

We're calling for submissions for a new PLOS Climate Focus Topic on Misinformation and Disinformation- an initiative supported by editors @profsanderlinden.bsky.social, @pammcelwee.bsky.social and @mgrasso.bsky.social Read more about the call and how to submit 👇 latitude.plos.org/2025/08/plos...

I talked with leading @cultexpert.freedomofmind.com who was indoctrinated by the Moonies in the 1970's before becoming a mental health expert. We talked about susceptibility to misinformation & the need for inoculation against extremism and radicalization! stevenhassan.substack.com/p/foolproof-...

In my interview with @profsanderlinden.bsky.social we talk about how people fall for conspiracies - satirical or not. We explore how absurdity, fear, and pattern-seeking fuel belief -and how to fight back. Click here to watch: youtu.be/oU8GGtZE5hQ

Following my testimony to the House of Lords, I am pleased to see the final report which concludes that a *failure to prioritise media literacy in the UK presents a risk to social cohesion and democracy* calling for a new national curriculum 👏 Full report publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ld...

Thrilled to share that The Cambridge Handbook of the Psychology of Violent Extremism is now available. Milan Obaidi's and my goal was to create the book we missed as students—a complete overview over every major perspective in the field.