Institute for Strategic Dialogue
@isdglobal.bsky.social
Powering solutions to extremism, hate and authoritarianism since 2006.
New ISD research reveals a surge in violent online rhetoric toward US lawmakers, with the number of threats tripling since 2021.
POLITICO first reported on ISD’s findings and interviewed ISD CEO Sasha Havlicek to discuss this dangerous phenomenon.
🔽
POLITICO first reported on ISD’s findings and interviewed ISD CEO Sasha Havlicek to discuss this dangerous phenomenon.
🔽
February 8, 2026 at 5:54 PM
New ISD research reveals a surge in violent online rhetoric toward US lawmakers, with the number of threats tripling since 2021.
POLITICO first reported on ISD’s findings and interviewed ISD CEO Sasha Havlicek to discuss this dangerous phenomenon.
🔽
POLITICO first reported on ISD’s findings and interviewed ISD CEO Sasha Havlicek to discuss this dangerous phenomenon.
🔽
Violent online threats against US lawmakers have tripled since 2021 according to new ISD research, spiking after major political events such as the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Most threats came from partisan individuals and not from organized extremist groups. . More below ⬇️
‘Tick tock traitor:’ The rise of violent rhetoric targeting US public officials
We assess how violent threats against US officials have tripled since 2021, spiking after major events and driven mainly by partisan individuals.
www.isdglobal.org
February 5, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Violent online threats against US lawmakers have tripled since 2021 according to new ISD research, spiking after major political events such as the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Most threats came from partisan individuals and not from organized extremist groups. . More below ⬇️
Shortly into the new year, Venezuelans awoke to the news that President Nicolás Maduro had been detained by US forces in a pre-dawn raid.
Within hours Russia, China, and Iran moved to seize on the moment—pushing anti-US narratives across state media and diplomatic channels. 🔽
Within hours Russia, China, and Iran moved to seize on the moment—pushing anti-US narratives across state media and diplomatic channels. 🔽
January 27, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Shortly into the new year, Venezuelans awoke to the news that President Nicolás Maduro had been detained by US forces in a pre-dawn raid.
Within hours Russia, China, and Iran moved to seize on the moment—pushing anti-US narratives across state media and diplomatic channels. 🔽
Within hours Russia, China, and Iran moved to seize on the moment—pushing anti-US narratives across state media and diplomatic channels. 🔽
YouTube’s algorithm is often blamed for pushing young men toward extremist or harmful content. ISD research suggests a more mundane reality: using test personas, we found most recommendations aligned with users’ existing interests, with only modest shares in other masculine topics. More below ⬇️
Men, algorithms and how YouTube shapes media consumption
ISD's new research project explores the topics and content YouTube’s algorithm recommends to young male users.
www.isdglobal.org
January 24, 2026 at 1:00 PM
YouTube’s algorithm is often blamed for pushing young men toward extremist or harmful content. ISD research suggests a more mundane reality: using test personas, we found most recommendations aligned with users’ existing interests, with only modest shares in other masculine topics. More below ⬇️
YouTube’s algorithm is often blamed for pushing young men toward extremist or harmful content. ISD research suggests a more mundane reality: using test personas, we found most recommendations aligned with users’ existing interests, with only modest shares in other masculine topics. More below ⬇️
Men, algorithms and how YouTube shapes media consumption
ISD's new research project explores the topics and content YouTube’s algorithm recommends to young male users.
www.isdglobal.org
January 21, 2026 at 10:46 AM
YouTube’s algorithm is often blamed for pushing young men toward extremist or harmful content. ISD research suggests a more mundane reality: using test personas, we found most recommendations aligned with users’ existing interests, with only modest shares in other masculine topics. More below ⬇️
The misogyny-fueled ‘Manosphere’ in Central & Eastern Europe spreads on mainstream platforms, and often overlaps with anti-immigrant and other hateful narratives, potentially creating pathways into broader extremist movements. Read ISD's latest report below.
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
Landscape Briefing: Mapping Online Male Supremacist Activity in Central and Eastern Europe
This briefing examines the scale, narratives and tactics of the 'Manosphere' in Central and Eastern Europe, with Germany as a comparative case.
www.isdglobal.org
January 19, 2026 at 5:13 PM
The misogyny-fueled ‘Manosphere’ in Central & Eastern Europe spreads on mainstream platforms, and often overlaps with anti-immigrant and other hateful narratives, potentially creating pathways into broader extremist movements. Read ISD's latest report below.
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
Gen-Z has reshaped violent extremism online, where radicalisation unfolds across gaming platforms, short-form video & encrypted spaces. A recent ThePrint piece draws on ISD research to show how ideological fluidity now defines youth radicalisation, complicating traditional counter-terrorism models.
Generation Z's ideological fluidity is shifting the extremist landscape
The extremist ecosystem has shifted dramatically in recent years, with Generation-Z teenagers driving these changes.
www.isdglobal.org
January 16, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Gen-Z has reshaped violent extremism online, where radicalisation unfolds across gaming platforms, short-form video & encrypted spaces. A recent ThePrint piece draws on ISD research to show how ideological fluidity now defines youth radicalisation, complicating traditional counter-terrorism models.
The 2003 Casablanca terrorist attacks marked a turning point for Morocco, triggering wide-ranging religious and state reforms that gave rise to a new national religious infrastructure known as “Moroccan Islam”. www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
Morocco’s Religious Diplomacy: Soft Power, Sovereignty and the Politics of Faith
After the 2003 Casablanca attacks, Morocco developed a state-led model of “Moroccan Islam” used as a tool of religious diplomacy at home and abroad; this report examines that model.
www.isdglobal.org
January 12, 2026 at 11:59 AM
The 2003 Casablanca terrorist attacks marked a turning point for Morocco, triggering wide-ranging religious and state reforms that gave rise to a new national religious infrastructure known as “Moroccan Islam”. www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
2025InReview | In December, we announced that the Institute for Strategic Dialogue-US (ISD-US) and the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) will merge under the ISD-US banner on January 1, 2026. 🔽
January 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM
2025InReview | In December, we announced that the Institute for Strategic Dialogue-US (ISD-US) and the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) will merge under the ISD-US banner on January 1, 2026. 🔽
2025InReview | False flag conspiracy theories are nothing new, but they’re more prominent than ever.
An ISD Dispatch revealed an astronomical spike in false flag narratives, with analysts finding an increase of more than 1,100 percent over the past five years. 🔽
An ISD Dispatch revealed an astronomical spike in false flag narratives, with analysts finding an increase of more than 1,100 percent over the past five years. 🔽
December 31, 2025 at 2:24 PM
2025InReview | False flag conspiracy theories are nothing new, but they’re more prominent than ever.
An ISD Dispatch revealed an astronomical spike in false flag narratives, with analysts finding an increase of more than 1,100 percent over the past five years. 🔽
An ISD Dispatch revealed an astronomical spike in false flag narratives, with analysts finding an increase of more than 1,100 percent over the past five years. 🔽
2025InReview | A Netflix hit about a schoolgirl’s murder by a 13-year-old boy may have sparked a spike in activity on the world’s biggest incel forum. 🔽
December 30, 2025 at 2:54 PM
2025InReview | A Netflix hit about a schoolgirl’s murder by a 13-year-old boy may have sparked a spike in activity on the world’s biggest incel forum. 🔽
#2025InReview | 764 is a sextortion network which coerces minors into producing Child Sexual Abuse Material and then uses the content to force them into the unimaginable. 🔽
December 29, 2025 at 3:47 PM
#2025InReview | 764 is a sextortion network which coerces minors into producing Child Sexual Abuse Material and then uses the content to force them into the unimaginable. 🔽
#2025InReview | Meta overhauled its content moderation approach in early 2025. Facebook, Instagram, and Threads no longer rely on third-party fact-checkers. Instead they are moving towards voluntary, user-driven moderation, modeled on X’s Community Notes. 🔽
December 28, 2025 at 5:36 PM
#2025InReview | Meta overhauled its content moderation approach in early 2025. Facebook, Instagram, and Threads no longer rely on third-party fact-checkers. Instead they are moving towards voluntary, user-driven moderation, modeled on X’s Community Notes. 🔽
#2025InReview | A study by ISD found that searches on Google, Yahoo, and Bing for terms like “deepnude,” “nudify,” and “undress app” led users straight to tools for creating non-consensual sexually explicit images (SIIA) within the first 20 results. 🔽
December 27, 2025 at 5:46 PM
#2025InReview | A study by ISD found that searches on Google, Yahoo, and Bing for terms like “deepnude,” “nudify,” and “undress app” led users straight to tools for creating non-consensual sexually explicit images (SIIA) within the first 20 results. 🔽
#2025InReview | Between July 2024 and July 2025, ISD identified at least 919 sites linked within the Pravda network. It comprises around 90 pro—Russia sites that have published more than 6 million articles. 🔽
December 26, 2025 at 5:33 PM
#2025InReview | Between July 2024 and July 2025, ISD identified at least 919 sites linked within the Pravda network. It comprises around 90 pro—Russia sites that have published more than 6 million articles. 🔽
Year-end holidays remain a target for IS-linked and IS-inspired attackers. The tragic Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting and disrupted plots on Christmas markets show a pattern: attackers strike during gatherings, fueled by online propaganda. Read our analysis below. www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...
Bondi Beach: The hallmarks of an Islamic State attack
ISD analysis examines antisemitic threats, calls for violence and global IS-inspired attacks on Jewish, Christian and holiday targets in the wake of the Bondi Beach shooting.
www.isdglobal.org
December 23, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Year-end holidays remain a target for IS-linked and IS-inspired attackers. The tragic Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting and disrupted plots on Christmas markets show a pattern: attackers strike during gatherings, fueled by online propaganda. Read our analysis below. www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...
New ISD research shows a growing prominence of antisemitism across US-based extremist movements, spanning the political spectrum. Analysis of 150,000+ posts found a 21% increase in antisemitic content between Aug 2024 & Jan 2025, w/ spikes linked to major domestic & geopolitical events ⬇️
Antisemitism across the extremes: A deep-dive on US-based violent online networks
New ISD research finds antisemitism rising across US extremist spaces, up 21 percent since Aug 2024, driven by events and conspiracy narratives.
www.isdglobal.org
December 22, 2025 at 8:16 PM
New ISD research shows a growing prominence of antisemitism across US-based extremist movements, spanning the political spectrum. Analysis of 150,000+ posts found a 21% increase in antisemitic content between Aug 2024 & Jan 2025, w/ spikes linked to major domestic & geopolitical events ⬇️
This week we released ISD’s Digital Policy Lab (DPL) brief, Fostering Healthy Masculinities: Building Resilience Against Online Misogyny. It draws on expert workshops held in September, exploring how online content shapes misogynistic beliefs & identifies ways to strengthen men’s & boys’ resilience.
Fostering Healthy Masculinities: Building Resilience Against Online Misogyny
This new brief examines what fuels online misogyny and evaluates current interventions, drawing on insights from a 2025 Digital Policy Lab working group.
www.isdglobal.org
December 12, 2025 at 11:00 PM
This week we released ISD’s Digital Policy Lab (DPL) brief, Fostering Healthy Masculinities: Building Resilience Against Online Misogyny. It draws on expert workshops held in September, exploring how online content shapes misogynistic beliefs & identifies ways to strengthen men’s & boys’ resilience.
ISD’s new guide helps families and practitioners spot warning signs of a child or loved one being drawn into nihilistic violence subcultures.
This resource will help parents and educators understand risks and approach conversations with care ⬇️
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
This resource will help parents and educators understand risks and approach conversations with care ⬇️
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
December 12, 2025 at 3:16 PM
ISD’s new guide helps families and practitioners spot warning signs of a child or loved one being drawn into nihilistic violence subcultures.
This resource will help parents and educators understand risks and approach conversations with care ⬇️
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
This resource will help parents and educators understand risks and approach conversations with care ⬇️
www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...
ISD’s sixth Strong Cities Global Summit, hosted by the City of Toronto, was its biggest yet! 🔽
December 12, 2025 at 2:44 PM
ISD’s sixth Strong Cities Global Summit, hosted by the City of Toronto, was its biggest yet! 🔽
Canada has become the first country to list the violent sextortion ring 764 as a terrorist organisation.
For the past two years, ISD has been on the frontline of monitoring this disturbing community and has published resources to help support practitioners, educators, and families combating it.
For the past two years, ISD has been on the frontline of monitoring this disturbing community and has published resources to help support practitioners, educators, and families combating it.
Canada adds 764, Maniac Murder Cult and Terrorgram Collective to list of terrorist entities
Ottawa said groups use social media and online gaming platforms to target, recruit and radicalize young people
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Canada has become the first country to list the violent sextortion ring 764 as a terrorist organisation.
For the past two years, ISD has been on the frontline of monitoring this disturbing community and has published resources to help support practitioners, educators, and families combating it.
For the past two years, ISD has been on the frontline of monitoring this disturbing community and has published resources to help support practitioners, educators, and families combating it.
ISD’s Digital Policy Lab (DPL) is proud to launch our policy brief: "Fostering Healthy Masculinities: Building Resilience Against Online Misogyny.” 🔽
December 9, 2025 at 9:41 PM
ISD’s Digital Policy Lab (DPL) is proud to launch our policy brief: "Fostering Healthy Masculinities: Building Resilience Against Online Misogyny.” 🔽
The Institute for Strategic Dialogue is delighted to announce the launch of ISD Canada.
This expansion strengthens ISD’s global footprint and deepens our commitment to Canadian partners working to address all forms of hate and extremism, foreign interference, and information operations. 🔽
This expansion strengthens ISD’s global footprint and deepens our commitment to Canadian partners working to address all forms of hate and extremism, foreign interference, and information operations. 🔽
December 9, 2025 at 4:22 PM
The Institute for Strategic Dialogue is delighted to announce the launch of ISD Canada.
This expansion strengthens ISD’s global footprint and deepens our commitment to Canadian partners working to address all forms of hate and extremism, foreign interference, and information operations. 🔽
This expansion strengthens ISD’s global footprint and deepens our commitment to Canadian partners working to address all forms of hate and extremism, foreign interference, and information operations. 🔽
As part of the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence, ISD is spotlighting our work with Project Catalyst, a consortium of partners led by the @Christchurch Call Foundation, to develop practical solutions to confront the overlap between online misogyny and violent extremism. 🔽
December 8, 2025 at 10:06 PM
As part of the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence, ISD is spotlighting our work with Project Catalyst, a consortium of partners led by the @Christchurch Call Foundation, to develop practical solutions to confront the overlap between online misogyny and violent extremism. 🔽
We are proud to announce that the Institute for Strategic Dialogue-US (ISD-US) and the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) will merge under the ISD-US banner on January 1, 2026. www.isdglobal.org/press-releas...
ISD-US and the Alliance for Securing Democracy announce merger to strengthen efforts against digital authoritarianism and hybrid threats
The consolidation brings together two leading organizations with long-standing commitments to countering digital authoritarianism and foreign interference.
www.isdglobal.org
December 5, 2025 at 10:29 AM
We are proud to announce that the Institute for Strategic Dialogue-US (ISD-US) and the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) will merge under the ISD-US banner on January 1, 2026. www.isdglobal.org/press-releas...