Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
@lorenzspreen.bsky.social
Heading the Computational Social Science group within SynoSys & ScaDS.AI at TU Dresden, where we study how online information environments impact public discourse and develop alternatives that benefit democracy.
CSS-Group: https://css-synosys.github.io/
CSS-Group: https://css-synosys.github.io/
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
Apply now for the M.A. Digital Media and Society at the University of Bremen! No tuition fees, just €400/semester (incl. nationwide public transport).
📅 Apply: Feb 1–Mar 15 for October start.
💌 Submit a 2-page motivation letter.
More info: zemki.uni-bremen.de/...
📅 Apply: Feb 1–Mar 15 for October start.
💌 Submit a 2-page motivation letter.
More info: zemki.uni-bremen.de/...
January 22, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Apply now for the M.A. Digital Media and Society at the University of Bremen! No tuition fees, just €400/semester (incl. nationwide public transport).
📅 Apply: Feb 1–Mar 15 for October start.
💌 Submit a 2-page motivation letter.
More info: zemki.uni-bremen.de/...
📅 Apply: Feb 1–Mar 15 for October start.
💌 Submit a 2-page motivation letter.
More info: zemki.uni-bremen.de/...
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
🎺 On May 21/22 @lespin.bsky.social , @doriantsolak.bsky.social, and I host “Democracy at Risk? Societal Challenges, Data, and Research Infrastructures in the Age of CSS” in Vienna
Keynotes: @lauraknelson.bsky.social and @lorenzspreen.bsky.social
computational-social-science.org/workshops/20...
Keynotes: @lauraknelson.bsky.social and @lorenzspreen.bsky.social
computational-social-science.org/workshops/20...
Democracy at Risk? Societal Challenges, Data, and Research Infrastructures in the Age of CSS – Computational Social Science
computational-social-science.org
January 20, 2026 at 2:48 PM
🎺 On May 21/22 @lespin.bsky.social , @doriantsolak.bsky.social, and I host “Democracy at Risk? Societal Challenges, Data, and Research Infrastructures in the Age of CSS” in Vienna
Keynotes: @lauraknelson.bsky.social and @lorenzspreen.bsky.social
computational-social-science.org/workshops/20...
Keynotes: @lauraknelson.bsky.social and @lorenzspreen.bsky.social
computational-social-science.org/workshops/20...
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
Kai's write up and @cailinmeister.bsky.social's thread do a great job of summarizing our results. Rather than cover them a third time, I thought I'd clarify some misconceptions over our piece and COIS more broadly that keep cropping up scattered across replies. 🧵🧪
One of the issues that has come up again and again in my reporting on misinformation and social media is the massive influence social media companies have on research in the field.
Last night a preprint dropped that tries to get at this with some numbers. My piece in @science.org (and 🧪🧵 coming):
Last night a preprint dropped that tries to get at this with some numbers. My piece in @science.org (and 🧪🧵 coming):
Nearly a third of social media research has undisclosed ties to industry, preprint claims
Industry-linked studies were also more likely to focus on particular topics, suggesting these ties may be skewing the field
www.science.org
January 19, 2026 at 9:29 PM
Kai's write up and @cailinmeister.bsky.social's thread do a great job of summarizing our results. Rather than cover them a third time, I thought I'd clarify some misconceptions over our piece and COIS more broadly that keep cropping up scattered across replies. 🧵🧪
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
Some coverage of our new findings, with perspectives and thoughts from @shelbygrossman.bsky.social, @cailinmeister.bsky.social, @naomioreskes.bsky.social, and @profsanderlinden.bsky.social
“While we cannot definitively show that industry funding in this area is redirecting attention from products to consumers, our results are consistent with this possibility.”
Preprint suggests “industry influence in social media research is extensive, impactful, and often opaque.”🧪
Preprint suggests “industry influence in social media research is extensive, impactful, and often opaque.”🧪
Nearly a third of social media research has undisclosed ties to industry, preprint claims
Industry-linked studies were also more likely to focus on particular topics, suggesting these ties may be skewing the field
www.science.org
January 19, 2026 at 1:52 PM
Some coverage of our new findings, with perspectives and thoughts from @shelbygrossman.bsky.social, @cailinmeister.bsky.social, @naomioreskes.bsky.social, and @profsanderlinden.bsky.social
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
Does anyone have a bsky list of all EU MEPs who are already on Bluesky?
January 17, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Does anyone have a bsky list of all EU MEPs who are already on Bluesky?
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
Join us in Frankfurt or online: "Social Media Access Days" - Social media data between research and infrastructure – sustainable archiving, cataloguing and access. March 17-19. Featuring a keynote by @snurb.info. Full program and registration details at: www.dnb.de/EN/Kulturell...
Social Media Access Days
Social media data between research and infrastructure – sustainable archiving, cataloguing and access.
www.dnb.de
January 14, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Join us in Frankfurt or online: "Social Media Access Days" - Social media data between research and infrastructure – sustainable archiving, cataloguing and access. March 17-19. Featuring a keynote by @snurb.info. Full program and registration details at: www.dnb.de/EN/Kulturell...
Special thanks to our great keynote speakers:
@jasminriedl.bsky.social
@flxvctr.bsky.social
@janalasser.bsky.social @noupside.bsky.social @damiantrilling.net
@jasminriedl.bsky.social
@flxvctr.bsky.social
@janalasser.bsky.social @noupside.bsky.social @damiantrilling.net
We are in the midst of many fascinating talks that all take a different perspective on the question of the "Impact of Social Media on Democracy and understanding the causal mechanisms of digital citizenship". This is the concluding conference of the @some4dem.bsky.social
some4dem.eu/activities/e...
some4dem.eu/activities/e...
January 14, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Special thanks to our great keynote speakers:
@jasminriedl.bsky.social
@flxvctr.bsky.social
@janalasser.bsky.social @noupside.bsky.social @damiantrilling.net
@jasminriedl.bsky.social
@flxvctr.bsky.social
@janalasser.bsky.social @noupside.bsky.social @damiantrilling.net
We are in the midst of many fascinating talks that all take a different perspective on the question of the "Impact of Social Media on Democracy and understanding the causal mechanisms of digital citizenship". This is the concluding conference of the @some4dem.bsky.social
some4dem.eu/activities/e...
some4dem.eu/activities/e...
January 14, 2026 at 10:42 AM
We are in the midst of many fascinating talks that all take a different perspective on the question of the "Impact of Social Media on Democracy and understanding the causal mechanisms of digital citizenship". This is the concluding conference of the @some4dem.bsky.social
some4dem.eu/activities/e...
some4dem.eu/activities/e...
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
"Online hate and disinformation do not have easy solutions. But the Trump administration’s lies are not about free speech. They are about power – [...] promoting its far-right allies in Europe, and protecting its partners in Big Tech." @davidakaye.bsky.social
www.techpolicy.press/the-trump-li...
www.techpolicy.press/the-trump-li...
The Trump Lie About Europe and Why it Matters | TechPolicy.Press
The Trump administration is promoting disinformation about European law and policy for reasons that go well beyond social media regulation, writes David Kaye.
www.techpolicy.press
January 11, 2026 at 6:50 PM
"Online hate and disinformation do not have easy solutions. But the Trump administration’s lies are not about free speech. They are about power – [...] promoting its far-right allies in Europe, and protecting its partners in Big Tech." @davidakaye.bsky.social
www.techpolicy.press/the-trump-li...
www.techpolicy.press/the-trump-li...
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
You are being manipulated:
RageCheck is a free tool that analyzes online content for manipulative framings—language designed to provoke emotional reactions rather than inform.
RageCheck helps you make more informed decisions about what to believe & share:
www.ragecheck.com/about
RageCheck is a free tool that analyzes online content for manipulative framings—language designed to provoke emotional reactions rather than inform.
RageCheck helps you make more informed decisions about what to believe & share:
www.ragecheck.com/about
January 10, 2026 at 5:32 PM
You are being manipulated:
RageCheck is a free tool that analyzes online content for manipulative framings—language designed to provoke emotional reactions rather than inform.
RageCheck helps you make more informed decisions about what to believe & share:
www.ragecheck.com/about
RageCheck is a free tool that analyzes online content for manipulative framings—language designed to provoke emotional reactions rather than inform.
RageCheck helps you make more informed decisions about what to believe & share:
www.ragecheck.com/about
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
This would be a crucial feature to research the role of recommender systems in distributing information.
Bluesky would become a thought-leader by reintroducing such a feature.
Poke @mmasnick.bsky.social @aaron.bsky.team
Bluesky would become a thought-leader by reintroducing such a feature.
Poke @mmasnick.bsky.social @aaron.bsky.team
In my Bluesky app, I can now see from which of my other feeds the posts originate from in my "discover" feed (see screenshot). This is going in the direction of algorithmic transparency for the user-side that we have been talking about in the past:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 10, 2026 at 8:22 AM
This would be a crucial feature to research the role of recommender systems in distributing information.
Bluesky would become a thought-leader by reintroducing such a feature.
Poke @mmasnick.bsky.social @aaron.bsky.team
Bluesky would become a thought-leader by reintroducing such a feature.
Poke @mmasnick.bsky.social @aaron.bsky.team
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
✨Get yourself some FREE BOOK CHAPTERS!!! 🤩⤵️
(Temporarily open access)
(Temporarily open access)
The 📚 Encyclopedia of Political Communication 📚 is now out in the wild, and a first awesome batch of entries is available in open access!
Read them, love them, use them for your courses! 🔥
Check the 🧵 below to access them
Plz repost for maximum diffusion
Read them, love them, use them for your courses! 🔥
Check the 🧵 below to access them
Plz repost for maximum diffusion
January 8, 2026 at 1:44 PM
✨Get yourself some FREE BOOK CHAPTERS!!! 🤩⤵️
(Temporarily open access)
(Temporarily open access)
In my Bluesky app, I can now see from which of my other feeds the posts originate from in my "discover" feed (see screenshot). This is going in the direction of algorithmic transparency for the user-side that we have been talking about in the past:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 9, 2026 at 12:20 PM
In my Bluesky app, I can now see from which of my other feeds the posts originate from in my "discover" feed (see screenshot). This is going in the direction of algorithmic transparency for the user-side that we have been talking about in the past:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
My chapter on Far-right Communication is currently open access!
...Along with some other fantastic entries.
Check them out!
(And maybe go ahead and download them... while you can.)
...Along with some other fantastic entries.
Check them out!
(And maybe go ahead and download them... while you can.)
January 8, 2026 at 1:43 PM
My chapter on Far-right Communication is currently open access!
...Along with some other fantastic entries.
Check them out!
(And maybe go ahead and download them... while you can.)
...Along with some other fantastic entries.
Check them out!
(And maybe go ahead and download them... while you can.)
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
🚨NEW PAPER
The Logic of Connective Faction:
How Digitally Networked Elites and Hyper-Partisan Media Radicalize Politics
w/ @yunkangyang.bsky.social & @mikecowburn.bsky.social
Online radicalization doesn't just affect the public.
It also reshapes how elites & parties behave. doi.org/10.1080/1058...
The Logic of Connective Faction:
How Digitally Networked Elites and Hyper-Partisan Media Radicalize Politics
w/ @yunkangyang.bsky.social & @mikecowburn.bsky.social
Online radicalization doesn't just affect the public.
It also reshapes how elites & parties behave. doi.org/10.1080/1058...
The Logic of Connective Faction: How Digitally Networked Elites and Hyper-Partisan Media Radicalize Politics
Across democratic systems, ideological cleavages increasingly emerge not only between but also within political parties. At the same time, hyperpartisan and digitally networked media ecosystems amp...
doi.org
January 5, 2026 at 8:36 AM
🚨NEW PAPER
The Logic of Connective Faction:
How Digitally Networked Elites and Hyper-Partisan Media Radicalize Politics
w/ @yunkangyang.bsky.social & @mikecowburn.bsky.social
Online radicalization doesn't just affect the public.
It also reshapes how elites & parties behave. doi.org/10.1080/1058...
The Logic of Connective Faction:
How Digitally Networked Elites and Hyper-Partisan Media Radicalize Politics
w/ @yunkangyang.bsky.social & @mikecowburn.bsky.social
Online radicalization doesn't just affect the public.
It also reshapes how elites & parties behave. doi.org/10.1080/1058...
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
2026 tutorial submissions are open!
✔️ Submission deadline: February 2nd, 2026
✔️Acceptance Notification: February 16th, 2026
View the guidelines here:
lnkd.in/eBHVe2tP
✔️ Submission deadline: February 2nd, 2026
✔️Acceptance Notification: February 16th, 2026
View the guidelines here:
lnkd.in/eBHVe2tP
December 15, 2025 at 2:37 PM
2026 tutorial submissions are open!
✔️ Submission deadline: February 2nd, 2026
✔️Acceptance Notification: February 16th, 2026
View the guidelines here:
lnkd.in/eBHVe2tP
✔️ Submission deadline: February 2nd, 2026
✔️Acceptance Notification: February 16th, 2026
View the guidelines here:
lnkd.in/eBHVe2tP
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
Computational Social Scientists in the Nordics, unite!
🇩🇰🇫🇮🇳🇴🇸🇪🇮🇸
The brand new Nordic Society for CSS welcomes all researchers and practitioners based in the Nordics. The Society will promote student mobility, events, and education initiatives.
Join for free: nosocss.org/join.html.
🇩🇰🇫🇮🇳🇴🇸🇪🇮🇸
The brand new Nordic Society for CSS welcomes all researchers and practitioners based in the Nordics. The Society will promote student mobility, events, and education initiatives.
Join for free: nosocss.org/join.html.
January 5, 2026 at 7:57 AM
Computational Social Scientists in the Nordics, unite!
🇩🇰🇫🇮🇳🇴🇸🇪🇮🇸
The brand new Nordic Society for CSS welcomes all researchers and practitioners based in the Nordics. The Society will promote student mobility, events, and education initiatives.
Join for free: nosocss.org/join.html.
🇩🇰🇫🇮🇳🇴🇸🇪🇮🇸
The brand new Nordic Society for CSS welcomes all researchers and practitioners based in the Nordics. The Society will promote student mobility, events, and education initiatives.
Join for free: nosocss.org/join.html.
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
Applications open for SFI’s 2026 GWCSS program, a 2-week workshop for Ph.D. students and early-career scholars to explore complex systems and computation, collaborate on challenges, and advance their research with support from SFI faculty.
Apply by Feb 4, 2026
www.santafe.edu/gwcss
Apply by Feb 4, 2026
www.santafe.edu/gwcss
January 1, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Applications open for SFI’s 2026 GWCSS program, a 2-week workshop for Ph.D. students and early-career scholars to explore complex systems and computation, collaborate on challenges, and advance their research with support from SFI faculty.
Apply by Feb 4, 2026
www.santafe.edu/gwcss
Apply by Feb 4, 2026
www.santafe.edu/gwcss
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
The Trump admin’s censorship agenda is chilling & relentless. I counted 200+ attempts in 2025 to muzzle press, protesters, public servants, judges, law firms, universities, corporations. But resistance has blunted this campaign & we must fiercely defend free speech: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/o...
Opinion | I Counted Trump’s Censorship Attempts. Here’s What I Found.
www.nytimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:04 PM
The Trump admin’s censorship agenda is chilling & relentless. I counted 200+ attempts in 2025 to muzzle press, protesters, public servants, judges, law firms, universities, corporations. But resistance has blunted this campaign & we must fiercely defend free speech: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/o...
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
We got Meta’s “general global playbook” for defeating advertiser verification regulations, which the company knows would reduce scams. It includes making scam ads “not findable” for regulators searching Meta’s ad library through targeted scrubbing.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Meta created ‘playbook’ to fend off pressure to crack down on scammers, documents show
As regulators pressure Meta to verify the identity of advertisers on Facebook and Instagram, the social media giant has drafted a “playbook” to stall them. A Reuters investigation examines its tactics...
www.reuters.com
December 31, 2025 at 2:38 PM
We got Meta’s “general global playbook” for defeating advertiser verification regulations, which the company knows would reduce scams. It includes making scam ads “not findable” for regulators searching Meta’s ad library through targeted scrubbing.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
Giving what we can has implemented a fun game where you spin a globe to see how your starting point in life would compare if you were reborn today, randomly somewhere on earth.
www.givingwhatwecan.org/birth-lottery
www.givingwhatwecan.org/birth-lottery
Birth Lottery
If you were reborn today, where would you land? And how would that change your life?
www.givingwhatwecan.org
December 25, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Giving what we can has implemented a fun game where you spin a globe to see how your starting point in life would compare if you were reborn today, randomly somewhere on earth.
www.givingwhatwecan.org/birth-lottery
www.givingwhatwecan.org/birth-lottery
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
EU says it strongly condemns U.S. visa ban on European individuals reut.rs/3YNpK6o
EU says it strongly condemns U.S. visa ban on European individuals
The European Commission strongly condemns the U.S. decision to impose a visa ban on five European individuals, including former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, a Commission spokesperson said on Wednesday, adding that the EU had requested clarifications from the U.S. authorities.
reut.rs
December 24, 2025 at 11:00 AM
EU says it strongly condemns U.S. visa ban on European individuals reut.rs/3YNpK6o
Full solidarity with @hateaid.org ! Standing up for our rights online is the way to go, and these accusations couldn't be more Orwellian... all the more reason to keep going this way and push for the DSA and transparency from online platforms!
Krass: Die US-Regierung hat Sanktionen gegen Anna-Lena von Hodenberg und Josephine Ballon von @hateaid.org erlassen, dazu trifft es auch den früheren EU-Kommissar Thierry Breton, weil "These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states". Einreiseverbot
December 24, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Full solidarity with @hateaid.org ! Standing up for our rights online is the way to go, and these accusations couldn't be more Orwellian... all the more reason to keep going this way and push for the DSA and transparency from online platforms!
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
Krass: Die US-Regierung hat Sanktionen gegen Anna-Lena von Hodenberg und Josephine Ballon von @hateaid.org erlassen, dazu trifft es auch den früheren EU-Kommissar Thierry Breton, weil "These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states". Einreiseverbot
December 23, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Krass: Die US-Regierung hat Sanktionen gegen Anna-Lena von Hodenberg und Josephine Ballon von @hateaid.org erlassen, dazu trifft es auch den früheren EU-Kommissar Thierry Breton, weil "These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states". Einreiseverbot
Reposted by Philipp Lorenz-Spreen
Thrilled to announce the Handbook of Computational Social Science is officially out! 956 pages, 118 authors, and truly global, interdisciplinary perspectives. Deep thanks to the contributors and anonymous reviewers who shaped this over 4 years. Buy your copy now!
@elgarpublishing.bsky.social
@elgarpublishing.bsky.social
December 19, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Thrilled to announce the Handbook of Computational Social Science is officially out! 956 pages, 118 authors, and truly global, interdisciplinary perspectives. Deep thanks to the contributors and anonymous reviewers who shaped this over 4 years. Buy your copy now!
@elgarpublishing.bsky.social
@elgarpublishing.bsky.social