ISD is proud to release the Pravda Network Spotter, a browser extension designed to detect sites linked to a Russia-aligned information operation. This extension warns users when they come across one of the pages by turning the page red, though they can still interact w/ it & switch off the alert.

ISD CEO Sasha Havlicek joined in a papal audience with Pope Leo XIV earlier today, where urgent ethical questions raised by AI were discussed. The audience came as Sasha spoke at the High-Level Meeting on Child Dignity and AI, organised by Fondazione Child ETS and the Child Dignity Alliance. 🔽

US-based members of the 764 network are shifting from online sextortion to real-world violence—with cases of stabbings, arson and a foiled mass attack emerging following the arrests of key leaders. 🔽

764 is a sextortion network which coerces minors into producing Child Sexual Abuse Material and then uses the content to force them into acts of violence, including self-harm. Some cases tragically end in suicide. 🔽

ISD’s latest finds most platforms still fall short on managing online risks from armed conflict. In one case study, even the most detailed plan after the 7 October attacks lacked transparency on freedom of expression, measurable impact & more. ⬇️

ISD research featured in WIRED finds ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek & Grok citing Russian state propaganda when asked about the war in Ukraine: “It’s not only an issue of removal, it’s an issue of contextualising further [...] especially if these sources are appearing amongst trusted, verified sources.”

Ahead of Ireland’s presidential elections, ISD & H&CC found 172 false/misleading posts, as well as 43 AI-gen ones including a deepfake claiming Catherine Connolly’s withdrawal & the election’s cancellation. The brief urges tackling both harmful content & the algorithms that amplify it. More below.

ISD’s new policy brief looks at the online safety challenges facing regulators as they try to keep up with smaller platforms and emerging technologies. 🔗 https://www.isdglobal.org/isd-publications/addressing-illegal-harms-on-small-and-emerging-platforms-regulatory-challenges-and-gaps

ISD joined Canada’s “Megaweek” on “Polarization and Preventing Violent Extremism” with 300+ thought leaders in Toronto. ISD shared insights on domestic extremism challenges, misogyny, and anti-LGBTQ+ hate. https://www.isdglobal.org/isd-events/isd-plays-key-role-at-public-safety-canadas-megaweek/

ISD research, featured by 404 Media, finds tools for creating non-consensual deepfake images remain easily accessible on search & social media while takedown laws are still being implemented. Read the coverage below. www.isdglobal.org/isd-in-the-n...

Far-right agitators exploited a local tragedy to incite violence in Citywest, Dublin—and platforms let it spread. A new ISD & Hope and Courage Collective report shows how the unrest was coordinated, not spontaneous, & communities stepped up where platforms failed. Read it below ⬇️

Three men who met online were convicted in the UK for preparing acts of terrorism, after stockpiling 200+ weapons and discussing “a mission against migrants.” ISD’s Hannah Rose spoke to The New York Times on the wider extremist trends behind the case. Read it below.

Hostile states are actively working to influence chatbots, resulting in the promotion of sanctioned content and false narratives. Our latest investigation shows how Kremlin narratives—including sanctioned sources—are making their way into mainstream AI responses.

Top results on Google, Yahoo and Bing can lead directly to harmful deepfake sites that put women & minors at risk ⬇️ ISD research shows how easy it is to find & share explicit deepfakes—risking severe emotional, reputational & even fatal consequences. But what can be done? Read our Dispatch below.

For Sasha Havlicek (CEO @isdglobal.org), "Transparency is absolutely in everybody's interest. Whether you think platforms promote left wing or right wing views, it is absolutely in your interest to question whether these platforms are promoting speech, & ensuring transparency."

ISD CEO Sasha Havlicek joined a recent @openmarkets.bsky.social event for a panel on “The Future of Democracy: Speech, Thought, Sovereignty, and Power in the Age of Platforms and AI.” The discussion tackled how platforms and AI are reshaping public debate, democratic resilience, and online harms.

Top results on Google, Yahoo and Bing can lead directly to harmful deepfake sites that put women & minors at risk ⬇️ ISD research shows how easy it is to find & share explicit deepfakes—risking severe emotional, reputational & even fatal consequences. But what can be done? Read our Dispatch below.

The LGBTQ+ community’s gains in visibility and rights over the last 20 years have come at a cost, with recent surges in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and crime. ISD’s recent Dispatch tracks anti-LGBTQ+ trends, including offline activity and online harms, over the last five years.

Starting now 📣 CEO Sasha Havlicek joins the high-level State of Europe roundtable. Hosted by @friendsofeurope.bsky.social, this roundtable brings together leaders from 40+ countries to discuss Europe’s competitiveness, security & the urgent transitions shaping its future.

False flag conspiracy theories predate on the internet by decades, but the speed and scale at which they now spread are unprecedented. We analyzed this trend in moments of crisis 🔗 https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/the-rise-of-false-flag-conspiracy-theories-in-moments-of-crises/

A week after the antisemitic terrorist attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester, reports have confirmed that the attacker pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS). www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

What happens when a fandom obsessed w/ mass killers starts generating its own? Since 2024, the True Crime Community (TCC) has been linked to 16 school shootings/disrupted plots. Attackers seek notoriety, borrowing from past killers w/ a “memetic” twist. ISD analysis & what prevention requires below.

Meme culture & gaming communities are central to the shifting extremist landscape, radicalising youth through humor in small chat rooms. The Sydney Morning Herald cites ISD’s findings, showing how “memeified” content can push a small minority from online spaces into real-world violence.

Catch up on the key digital policy developments from this summer 📣 Our latest roundup highlights 9 updates you should know, drawn from ISD’s Digital Policy Lab’s Policy Digest. Read the full issue here. www.isdglobal.org/policy-diges...

Between March–May 2025, Canadian extremist accounts posted more than 440K+ times, with activity spiking around elections & US tariffs. In our latest, ISD identified 598 accounts, with ethnonationalist & anti-Muslim content driving the most engagement. More below. www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...

11 leading economists on a panel convened by the Forum on Information and Democracy (ISD CEO Sasha Havlicek is a founding member) have released a statement highlighting the economic & democratic importance of public interest media, as the UN General Assembly meets in NY this week. Read it below.

ISD contributed to the Eradicate Hate Summit in Pittsburgh this week, co-hosting the Gaming & Hate group to tackle misogyny in gaming. Since 2022, ISD has contributed to this summit, created after the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue attack. More below ⬇️ www.isdglobal.org/isd-events/i...

After the 10 Sept. Charlie Kirk shooting, ISD & CIS (Center for Internet Security) analysts found a spike in Russian-linked posts online. ABC News reports these used fake quotes, news and images to stir anger among a wide range of US audiences. Read it below. www.isdglobal.org/isd-in-the-n...

Bullet casings recovered near the rifle allegedly used by Charlie Kirk’s killer featured symbols some have linked to the Groypers, despite no confirmed connection. So who is this group? ISD's Explainer on the movement is cited by Forbes in their coverage of Kirk's death.

Did German Chancellor Friedrich Merz kill a polar bear & her cubs while in Canada for the G7 summit? Absolutely not—but Russian campaigns, heavy on AI, want people to think so. ISD's Pablo Maristany tells Politico why Merz’s support for Ukraine has made him a target for bizarre false stories.

FIMI (Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference) is a threat to elections worldwide. This risk assessment from the FIMI Defenders for Election Integrity project analyses how malign actors could target the upcoming Czech election—from covert recruitment to front groups like Voice of Europe ⬇️

Webinar Monday! 📢 Hosted by Coalition to Counter Online Antisemitism, a pan-European network coordinated by ISD, "Training grounds for hate" will gather experts to discuss how white nationalist "Active Clubs" are using fitness training as a gateway to radicalisation. Register below.

After a 2021 crackdown, it was assumed the neo-Nazi group The Base was done for. But now it's back—active in Ukraine, on the EU's terrorist watch list, and raising fresh questions about Russian support. ISD’s Steven Rai unpacks the group’s re-emergence in Raw Story. Read it below.

ISD’s latest explores the resurgence of 'The Base,' a neo-Nazi accelerationist group, worldwide. Despite a law enforcement crackdown & terrorist designations, it is rebuilding globally, plotting attacks and pushing to establish a White ethnostate in Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountains. Analysis below ⬇️

Active clubs are growing across the US & Canada, blending martial arts and White nationalist ideology, and often targeting teens. ISD’s Mack Lamoureux speaks to CBC’s Front Burner about the clubs’ key aspects, including their propaganda and activities. Podcast available below.

ISD examines 70 Czech-language accounts on X acting as a conduit for Kremlin propaganda. While individual accounts have limited reach, the community’s activities illustrate an effort to influence political discourse ahead of the 2025 parliamentary elections ⬇️ www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...

Swatting calls—false emergency reports intended to trigger law enforcement—hit nearly a dozen US universities in late August, causing lockdowns, panic & major campus disruptions. But who is behind it? ISD links the “Purgatory” swatting group to at least 10 incidents. Read our findings on ABC News.

Exciting new partnership! ISD & Movember—the leading men's health org—have joined forces to tackle digital harms facing young men. Together, we’re co-authoring policy papers to translate research into real world action & shape better digital spaces. Stay tuned for the papers + updates on Substack!

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has aimed to block Russian state media, but ISD’s Pablo Maristany de las Casas tells AFP that three years on, progress is inconsistent. His research suggests the EC should target specific domains linked to Russian state outlets, not just media names ⬇️

Authorities are probing the online trail of the Minnesota church shooting suspect. ISD’s Cody Zoschak explains to CNN how the attacker's journals & videos mirror nihilistic violence subculture, echoing themes seen in other shootings: "...we generally saw a lot of efforts to misdirect and troll."

Social media is becoming a key arena for Jordan’s growing nationalist discourse. In this new report, we analyse over 43K posts & find that online activity is fuelling ethnic tension and undermining social cohesion. Analysts call for a whole-of-society approach to address these harms. Findings below.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger’s departure from the Economic Community of West African States marked a significant pivot away from the West & toward Russia ⬇️ www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...

Sextortion rings are using more sophisticated tactics and remain a serious concern. ISD’s Milo Comerford spoke to The Guardian about these online communities, which often target children. He emphasised the need for a coordinated multi-agency response. Read it below. www.isdglobal.org/isd-in-the-n...

ISD & partners in the FIMI-ISAC have released a report on foreign information manipulation during the 2025 Polish Presidential Elections. Drawing on 28 orgs’ expertise, it details key influence campaigns, anti-EU/anti-Ukrainian narratives, & Poland’s resilience in the face of such operations ⬇️

Luigi Mangione’s case returns to headlines with news of a James Patterson book & Dave Franco’s interest in portraying him. The Guardian cites ISD’s Jared Holt on the role of Mangione in public fascination & vigilante justice: “…it’d be mistaken to overlook the degree that likely propelled the story”

Three years after the EU banned Russian state media, enforcement is weak. ISD's latest report finds fewer than 25% of ISP blocks succeed, VPNs and DNS workarounds are common, and banned sites still draw traffic. Read our full report below. www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...

As trust in public institutions falls, false flag conspiracy theories are spreading faster than ever. ISD’s Dispatch—covered by Wired—shows how these narratives surge during crises, draw millions of views, and downplay real-world violence. Read it below 👇 www.isdglobal.org/isd-in-the-n...

Ethnonationalist & loyalist groups in Ireland—once divided by deep historic conflicts—are now uniting over anti-migrant sentiment. ISD’s Zoe Manzi speaks to several outlets about this activity, calling it a major shift with “old ideological lines breaking down, replaced by shared grievances.”

ISD’s Julia Ebner spoke with Der Standard about how conspiracy theories have increasingly entered the mainstream. She explains how recognising shared experiences—even among those seen as enemies—could help bridge growing divides. Read it here. www.isdglobal.org/isd-in-the-n...

A year after the worst far-right riots in recent British history, ISD found that hostility towards migrants in the UK is only intensifying. The number of anti-migrant posts on X in the first half of 2025 was almost the same as all of 2024. ISD’s latest examines how this rhetoric is accelerating 👇