‼️ Join us for our upcoming Food for Thought conversation ‼️ Jasmine Smith, professor of Political Science @gwu1821.bsky.social, will share details of her current research which analyzes how people of color work together in politics. 💻: bit.ly/4zozxjR 📅: 10/22 ⏰: 1-2pm 📍: IDDP Office

With “The Social Reckoning” hitting theaters this October and Meta’s recent settlement over teen addiction claims, momentum for a national kids’ online safety law has never been stronger. (1/4)

IDDP Principal Researcher Spencer Overton recently joined voting rights organizations and advocates on a panel at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual legislative conference to discuss the implications of Louisiana v. Callais. Check out bit.ly/3To98TV for his perspective.

Voting rights advocates regroup as Callais decision threatens Black representation

With “the crown jewel” of civil rights legislation gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court, and possibly the seats of 20 Black members of Congress at stake in November, voting rights advocates on Wednesday c...

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We're kicking off our fall semester Food for Thought slate with a lunch time talk hosted by GW professor Marc Lynch, @abuaardvark.bsky.social. He'll discuss AI, surveillance, and authoritarianism in the Middle East. 💻: form.jotform.com/262425061985158 📅: 9/24 ⏰: 1-2pm 📍: IDDP Office

New from IDDP affiliate @thakurdhanaraj.bsky.social: How do “race-neutral” approaches to law and technology risk reinforcing racial inequities? Thakur examines the parallels between the Supreme Court and Big Tech and what they mean for multiracial democracy. 💻 full article at bit.ly/4wPg4XC

How the Supreme Court and Big Tech Both Weaponize 'Race-Neutrality'

Both online and offline, we are seeing the dangerous adoption of a “race-neutral” approach to consequential decisions, writes Dhanaraj Thakur.

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Republicans are reviving Cold War-era rhetoric ahead of the midterms. Does the Red Scare still resonate with voters the way it once did? Read what our Co-Director Ethan Porter told @axios.com. 💻 bit.ly/4aMrSC3

GOP reboots the Red Scare as young Democrats embrace socialism

Trump sees an opening with voters old enough to remember Soviet-era nuclear drills and spy dramas.

axios.com

We're delighted to welcome Karolina Mackiewicz as our newest Policy Fellow! Karolina brings expertise in technology policy, digital transformation and AI governance, and will help translate IDDP's research into actionable policy insights. Learn more about her work at: iddp.gwu.edu/karolina-mac...

Mackiewicz, Karolina | Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences | The George Washington University

Karolina Mackiewicz is IDDP's Policy Fellow.

iddp.gwu.edu

Last week scholars, policymakers & policy practitioners came together for a timely discussion on digital threats & disinformation across Asia. Our discussions explored a range of challenges shaping the region's information environment. Thank you to all who joined us for a wide-ranging conversation!

A recent paper by IDDP researchers unpacks “trustworthy AI” in a way that helps explain why so many debates in this space feel misaligned. A 🧵 (1/6) @broniatowski.bsky.social and @lorien-abroms.bsky.social

Our last research grant recipient is Y. Tony Yang. His work will investigate the intersection of health misinformation and democratic trust. (1/3)

We are excited to share that IDDP is funding Professor Julian Wamble's research project challenging how we think about AI and misinformation. (1/3)

Today we're highlighting our next RfP recipient Professor Jasmine Carrera Smith. Her project will explore a timely and crucial question: does person of color (POC) identity predict support for POC representation? (1/3)

We are pleased to announce that @abuaardvark.bsky.social (Marc Lynch) has also been selected as a recipient of IDDP’s research funding for his proposal on AI, surveillance, and authoritarianism in the Middle East (1/4)

Over the course of the week we are going to our research grant winners and provide a summary of their projects. A 🧵 We are proud to recognize this year’s research grant recipients, scholars whose work is advancing critical inquiry at the nexus of digital technology, governance, and democracy. (1/4)

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map in a 6–3 ruling, limiting the use of race in redistricting. In an interview with WBUR’s Here & Now, Spencer Overton explains the implications for voting rights and future elections. 🎧: bit.ly/4t9R3F4

Supreme Court overrules Louisiana's congressional map, limiting use of race in redistricting | News | WLIW-FM

In a 6-3 vote, Supreme Court justices axed a 2024 voting map from Louisiana that created a new majority-Black congressional district.

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The world has changed and so has our understanding of misinformation. What does it look like today, and how has our approach evolved?

If you’re passionate about shaping the future of AI research we have a postdoc opportunity for you. Alongside the Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society (TRAILS) we're looking for an exceptional Postdoc w/expertise in AI, meta-analysis and building scientific infrastructure. 💻 bit.ly/4tkHqnL

In Democracy Journal, IDDP Co-Director Ethan Porter reviews the book Politics Without Politicians: The Case for Citizen Rule, which challenges top-down policymaking and makes the case for more inclusive, participatory approaches. Full Article: democracyjournal.org/magazine/80/....

Policy by the People

Experiments across the world have tried to remove politicians themselves from decision-making. And they’ve worked—well, kind of.

democracyjournal.org

Is there actually a way to stop misinformation? At our latest Food for Thought session, @adamberinsky.bsky.social explored this question and the answer isn’t as simple as we might hope.

Is There Any Real Hope to Stop Misinformation? Join our Food for Thought series with MIT’s Adam Berinsky as he explores why current solutions fall short and what actually works. Register here: form.jotform.com/260674910556... 🗓️ April , 12:30–1:30 PM

Are you passionate about policy and research? This job is for you. IDDP is hiring a Policy Fellow to translate research into actionable insights for policymakers and the public across AI, misinformation, and democracy. Apply at: gwu.jobs/postings/125023 . 📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025.

In recent years, academics, advocates, and policymakers have proposed or discussed the need for a new digital regulator (NDR) – a new agency of the federal government that regulates the AI and technology industry, w/ a particular focus on market competition, data privacy, and transparency & safety.

IDDP kicked off the Food for Thought series this week with political scientist @jenvictor.bsky.social sparking an engaging conversation on the state of democracy in the U.S.

IDDP's @lorien-abroms.bsky.social studied the efficacy of trusted online communities helping to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Spanish-speaking Latino parents. Findings suggest culturally relevant, moderated Facebook groups can support more positive vaccine beliefs. Read at bit.ly/4lytIL1

Join our colleagues in the School of Media & Public Affairs next week for their annual Entman talk with @brendannyhan.bsky.social. This year's conversation will focus on the myths behind misinformation. 📅: Wednesday, March 25 from 4 - 5pm in 🏢: MPA B07 Register at form.jotform.com/260695132582...

Don't forget to register for our inaugural Food for Thought 🔊 Who: @jenvictor.bsky.social What: Conversation on the ways in which democracy is defined and measured, how 🇺🇸 stacks up, and where we go from here When 📅: March 24th 2-3pm Where 🏢: SMPA 5th Floor Studio Register: bit.ly/47H9sRu

New @techpolicypress.bsky.social article by @broniatowski.bsky.social & Joseph Simons encourage policymakers to think of large scale digital platforms as critical infrastructure. Policy debates surrounding these platforms narrowly focus on access controls or legal liability. Read at bit.ly/4bzYjDr.

A Building Code for Digital Infrastructures

We should treat large social and AI systems like critical infrastructure and adopt "building codes" for them, write David A. Broniatowski and Joseph Simons.

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‼️ We're launching the Food for Thought speaker series ‼️ Designed to spark curiosity and conversation, Food for Thought brings together faculty and IDDP affiliates who want to share their research with the broader @gwu1821.bsky.social community.

On the 4th anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war, we are revisiting a 2022 cross-national study that offers a key insight: fact-checking reduced belief in pro-Kremlin misinformation, but didn’t change attitudes about the war. People update facts, not always loyalties. Find at: bit.ly/4s1NhgC

Correcting misinformation about the Russia-Ukraine War reduces false beliefs but does not change views about the War - PubMed

We report results from simultaneous experiments conducted in late 2022 in Belarus, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. The experiments focus on fact-checking misinformation supportive of Russia in the Russia-Ukraine War. Meta-analysis makes clear that fact-checking misinformation reduces belief …

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

@annalenhart.bsky.social contributed to @aspendigital.bsky.social new handbook Defining Technologies of Our Time: AI. As AI evolves, how we define it shapes regulation, accountability, and governance. Her chapter explores General Purpose AI and policy challenges. Read at: bit.ly/4b46uIW

Defining Technologies of Our Time - Aspen Digital

This handbook offers an accessible, easy to use entry point for grappling with the question of how to define AI in a legal context.

aspendigital.org