A major disinformation research center’s future looks uncertain

The Stanford Internet Observatory, a small but prominent research group studying abuse on social media platforms, looks to be in crisis, according to a report by Platformer.

Some key staff have departed recently, including founding director Alex Stamos and research director Renée DiResta, Platformer reports. A handful of staff have left recently after not having their contracts renewed, and other members have been told to look for other jobs. Platformer describes the turmoil as a “dismantling” of the research group.

Stanford Internet Observatory research centers on some of the most pressing types of abuse online, including threats to democracy and elections, artificial intelligence, and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The group’s cutting-edge, real-time research on content moderation has been cited by news outlets around the world, including here at The Verge many times. Stamos founded the Internet Observatory in 2018 after working as Facebook’s chief security officer, hoping to create more accountability and transparency for issues that touch the tech industry, academia, and Capitol Hill.