at @aial.ie, we've been navigating emotionally challenging & politically contentious research. i initially set out to assemble internal resource but following conversations w @thecoalition.bsky.social, it developed into a blogpost worth sharing w others in similar situations aial.ie/blog/support...

In the interview, Brandi from @thecoalition.bsky.social shared more about why the work researchers and advocates are doing to keep us all safe online “is more important than ever.”

Lawsuit update: @knightcolumbia.org & @protectdemocracy.org have filed a preliminary injunction motion on behalf of @thecoalition.bsky.social asking the court to block a U.S. immigration policy targeting noncitizen researchers who study online safety. 🧵 knightcolumbia.org/content/tech...

Last week, we asked a federal court to block a US immigration policy targeting noncitizen researchers, advocates, fact-checkers, and trust & safety workers. It enables visa denials, revocations, detention, and deportation for public-interest research on social media platforms. (1/3)

@thecoalition.bsky.social is suing to stop a new US policy that threatens to deny or revoke visas for researchers who study disinfo and online harms. “This policy is meant to censor researchers into silence and keep the public in the dark, and that’s exactly what it’s doing.”

Excellent coverage of the @thecoalition.bsky.social suit against the Trump administration over the misinfo/trust and safety visa ban: www.barrons.com/news/tech-re...

Independent AI researchers face rising risks - from harassment to legal intimidation. A new resource by the Coalition for Independent Technology Research & @aial.ie shares tools on safety, wellbeing, and collective care. Read more ⬇️

The policy targets people working in misinformation research, fact-checking, content moderation, and trust and safety — labeling their work “censorship.” Gov action that chills protected speech crosses a constitutional line. Learn more about the suit on behalf of @thecoalition.bsky.social ⬇️

The #immigration policy and its enforcement have instilled fear within the research community, causing some to curtail their work, withdraw from public advocacy, and reconsider their ability to continue working in the U.S. @protectdemocracy.org @thecoalition.bsky.social For more: bit.ly/4ulgjtx

The Coalition for Independent Technology Research has filed a lawsuit with the @knightcolumbia.org and @protectdemocracy.org challenging a US State Department policy to revoke or deny visas of non-citizen researchers because of their work studying the societal impacts of technology. (1/4)

🚨NEWS: @knightcolumbia.org & @protectdemocracy.org just filed a lawsuit on behalf of @thecoalition.bsky.social challenging the Trump administration's policy targeting social media researchers and trust & safety workers for visa revocation and deportation. More: knightcolumbia.org/content/tech...

Independent tech research depends on shared infrastructure - tools & strategies that can be sustained beyond institutions & funding cycles. Collective knowledge makes this possible. Recently, we hosted an edit-a-thon as a collective exercise in building & reflecting on a tools & resources hub.(1/3)

We’re happy to share that the Coalition for Independent Technology Research has been awarded a grant from Siegel Family Endowment – part of a $15.4 million investment to reimagine how people learn, work, and innovate for a more inclusive tech future. (1/2)

What is digital authoritarianism? A new book chapter by Coalition member Allison Wun-hui Koh, Anita Gohdes, and Maurice Schumann maps how governments use digital tools to manufacture support, suppress opposition, and preempt future dissent. A sharp look at evolving tech-enabled repression. ⬇️

Despite mounting challenges, the State of Independent Technology Research report reveals powerful evidence that researchers recognize the value of mutual support and collective action. (1/3) independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

New from me - Independent tech research is essential and under threat, highlighting the great recent report from @thecoalition.bsky.social independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-... techbullion.com/independent-...

Amid growing public demand for tech accountability on harms & rights, the public has turned to scientists — especially on issues of causality. So how can we reliably inform courts? Join @meetalijain.bsky.social & me online Oct 29 at @thecoalition.bsky.social citizensandtech.org/2025/10/even...

Across sectors, public interest technology researchers are facing growing risks – surveillance, censorship, legal uncertainty, and inequitable funding. The conditions are often unequal across regions. (1/2)

Tech companies and other powerful actors create and exploit artificial divisions within the research community: STEM versus non-STEM researchers, academics versus journalists, university-affiliated versus independent, senior scholars versus emerging voices. (1/2)

Join us at the launch of the RAIDAR Research Hub with a conversation on Challenges to Funding Independent Internet Research. Thursday, Oct 9, 7 PM Bangkok / 12 PM UTC Register: asiafoundation.zoom.us/meeting/regi... (1/2)

Our new report maps the escalating threats facing public-interest tech researchers worldwide. Yet, despite systematic attacks, Coalition members are building systems of protection and care that reflect the power of collective solidarity. (1/2) independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

A systematic shutdown of access to platform data has created what researchers call a “data desert.” Twitter’s free API powered 17K+ studies. CrowdTangle offered rare insight into content virality on FB. But today, that infrastructure has disappeared. Read: independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

The State of Independent Technology Research report maps the funding landscape for public-interest tech research – drawing on experiences from Coalition members across six continents. Read the full report! independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

Recent headlines, like reports on Meta and its stance on research related to youth harm, remind us why independent technology research is essential. Without it, risks are downplayed, critical inquiry is suppressed, and the public remains in the dark. Read ⬇️

85% of independent technology researchers surveyed identify funding as their most significant challenge. (1/2)

>35 years after the Web and >20 years of social media, we still lack clarity on tech’s impact. How systems are designed, what data trains them and whether they deepen inequality remain unanswered. (1/2)

The threats facing researchers vary significantly by geographic context, but no region appears immune from the broader pattern of increasing hostility toward critical technology research. Repost this with what’s happening in your context. (1/2)

📚 Independent research is essential, without it, we risk losing transparency and the ability to hold those in power accountable. @thecoalition.bsky.social's new report explores why public-driven research is vital for accountability and why it’s under threat today.

“When researchers with different methodological approaches, institutional contexts, and geographic perspectives unite around shared principles, they become much harder to dismiss or divide.” (1/2)

What barriers affect your research the most today? Repost/reply with your thoughts! 💭 (1/2)

@thecoalition.bsky.social just launched its report on the current state of independent tech research. TL;DR: It's not great. And this work is integral to building a good tech future. Dig in to the full report here ⤵️ @louisbarclay.bsky.social independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

How is independent tech research faring in 2025 amidst extraordinary headwinds & what can we do to preserve / grow it? A new report, "Power in Numbers" by @thecoalition.bsky.social summarizes the struggle for public-interest tech research worldwide. independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

This is a very important report from @thecoalition.bsky.social on the challenges of technology research: "Across countries, support for public-interest research on technology is rapidly eroding, just as society’s need for it grows more urgent" independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

The need for independent research grows but the ability to do this work is being threatened. The @thecoalition.bsky.social is not idly standing by. We're building collective power to defend the right to research and free information. Read our report today independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

This is a really important report about the challenges faced by people doing #independent #tech #research: funding, personal security and data access feature high up on the list; by @thecoalition.bsky.social Great illustrations and it's full of examples 🎉 independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

The @thecoalition.bsky.social, of which CDT is a member, just launched a new report titled, “The State of Independent Technology Research 2025: Power in Numbers.” independenttechresea...

Today, we’re proud to share the Coalition’s new report: The State of Independent Technology Research: Power in Numbers It's an offering to our community and all researchers doing public interest work–a reflection of collective strength, solidarity and persistence in the face of adversity. (1/2)

📢 New Report: “Ethical Use of Pervasive Data for Research - Actions for Academia and Civil Society” Authored by Coalition member Anna Lenhart, this report outlines concrete next steps for academia, civil society, and philanthropic funders to propel ethical computing research forward. Read here! ⬇️

📉 The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom’s 2025 Media Pluralism Monitor is live - mapping risks to media freedom and journalist safety across 32 European countries. It also tracks ownership, editorial independence, and inclusivity. Read here ⬇️

Report by Ofcom – the UK’s communications regulator – on how researchers could gain better access to information to support work on online safety matters. Read here ⬇️

How do "community" fact-checking tools operate in South Asia where misinformation is entangled with high levels of political polarization, religious & ethnic divisions, and a massive user base generating multilingual content? Read this new report by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate ⬇️

✨ Spotted: Coalition members connecting IRL off the sidelines of the ICA Conference in Denver, Colorado! 😍 Here’s a snapshot of a recent meetup with J. Nathan Matias, Rebekah Tromble, Emma Briant, & Francois Heinderyckx – continuing threads from ongoing conversations at the Coalition, IRL! (1/2)

The EC has adopted a delegated act outlining rules granting data access for qualified researchers under the DSA, allowing research on systemic risks & mitigation measures. A step forward for independent research but a concern still remains: Are application-vetting processes workable & inclusive? 📖 ⬇️

This Lawfare article explains how far-right groups have reframed the DSA conversation, presenting tech companies as champions of free speech. For researchers, this politicization makes an already tricky regulatory environment more difficult. Read 📖 ⬇️

A 10-country survey led by Coalition member @yannistheocharis.bsky.social of the Technical University of Munich Think Tank (with the University of Oxford) finds that most people support content moderation on social media to restrict harmful behavior, even as large tech companies push back. Read 👇

What happens when Big Tech shapes narratives about its own accountability? This new report by the Norman Lear Center with support from Luminate, examines how major media outlets cover harms perpetuated by the tech industry. 💡 Read ⬇️ learcenter.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/OffTheHook_B...

X’s lawsuit against New York’s Stop Hiding Hate Act is a barrier for tech researchers. By challenging laws requiring companies to disclose how they monitor hate speech, disinformation & foreign political interference, X signals that it prefers transparency requirements stay behind closed doors. 📖 ⬇️

📣 New report: Tiktok's Research API: Problems without Explanations @aiforensics.org's latest report reveals that TikTok's Research API fails to provide metadata for 1 in 8 videos, undermining independent research efforts. Read ⬇️ (1/2)

@counterhate.com has published a guide to anti-LGBTQ+ online hate and disinformation. It unpacks how anti-LGBTQ+ hate plays out online, how it impacts lives, and who pushes them. The guide also lists some useful resources. Read ⬇️

🔊Our Executive Director, @sandraaceng.bsky.social will be moderating a panel discussion tomorrow hosted by UN Women & SVRI. The panel will unpack international developments, accountability gaps & strategies for tackling Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence globally. 🔗: shorturl.at/QVLtZ