Institute for Strategic Dialogue

ISD is the UK's leading ‘think and do’ tank dedicated to understanding and innovating real-world responses to the rising tide of polarisation, hate, extremism and misinformation. We combine anthropological research, expertise in international extremist movements and an advanced digital analysis capability that tracks hate, disinformation and extremism online, with policy advisory support and training to governments and cities around the world. We also work to empower youth and community influencers internationally through our pioneering education, technology and communications programmes. Innovating, trialling and scaling data-driven solutions across our networks of community influencers, city and government officials and tech sector partnerships, we work to mount a soft power strategy, proportional in influence and impact to the cross-border polarisation and recruitment machineries of state and non-state actors promulgating hate, division and conflict.

Digital Services Act
ISD has submitted several consultations regarding the Digital Services Act (DSA), including submissions in Jan 2024 on the “Digital Services Act Transparency Reports (Detailed Rules and Templates)” and on “Guidelines for Providers of Very Large Online Platforms and Very Large Online Search Engines on the Mitigation of Systemic Risks for Electoral Processes” in Mar 2024. ISD intends to submit input to the consultation on “Delegated Regulation on data access provided for in the Digital Services Act” in Nov 2024.

ISD has analysed the application of the DSA on online gaming services and platforms, as well as online private messaging providers. These submissions build on the expertise ISD has built on these topics based on multistakeholder working group discussions, policy analysis, and our own public reports on the topics. In addition to these consultations, ISD has been involved in the monitoring of DSA implementation and compliance in collaboration with other civil society groups.

ISD is part of a consortium currently delivering a digital research project for DG Connect (EC-CNECT/2024/OP/0007) to assess selected VLOPs’ compliance with the DSA across eight EU languages and three key risk areas: mitigating systemic risks to the dissemination of illegal content (terrorism and hate speech), civic discourse and electoral integrity. The consortium is led by ISD UK’s sister organisation, ISD Germany, and will provide DG Connect with nine monthly (June 2024-February 2025) and four ad-hoc research reports, and a final report in April 2025.

In June 2024, ISD also officially became a member of the European Union Internet Forum (EUIF) to support its’ work to address the misuse of the internet for terrorist purposes.

In relation to the Code of Practice on Disinformation, and the Code of conduct on countering illegal hate speech online, ISD continues to research and publish public reports on foreign and domestic information manipulation and interference and a range of different forms of hate speech. ISD has also collaborated with civil society organisations on the development of structural indicators for the evaluation of the Code of Practice.

ISD has also been collaborating with civil society organisations for the development of recommendations for the enforcement of the Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, and the EU AI Act, on the topic of technology-facilitated gender-based violence. ISD’s sister organisation, ISD Germany, is conducting independent research on the nature, scale and scope of online gender-based violence on TikTok, in relation to DSA compliance.

Mis- and disinformation relating to climate change, climate science and climate policy
ISD regularly briefs into Directorates across the EC to build awareness and advise on effective mitigation approaches to climate disinformation. This includes sharing evidence on the evolving threat landscape to DG-CLIMA, DG-CNECT, EEAS, DG-COMM and the Joint Research Council (JRC), and presenting at events open to all Commission staff via the EULearn portal. As a result of this engagement, recommendations for addressing mis- and disinformation were included in an official communication on managing climate risks in March 2024. Informally, we are supporting the Commission to assess how such issues fit within existing legislation, specifically enforcement of the Digital Services Act and Strengthened Code of Practice on Disinformation; our wider coalition (CAAD) has also produced reports exploring VLOPSEs response to said legislation through the lens of climate issues.

In February 2023, ISD testified before the European Parliament’s Special Committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation (ING2), and has since briefed MEPs from the Greens/EFA coalition and the Committee of the Regions (CoR).

http://www.isdglobal.org

5

1.7

No lobbyists with EP accreditations

A number of people at ISD conduct research into the areas outlined under Heading 9. However, few conduct activities covered by the Register on our behalf (ie: participating in events, meeting with decision makers, responding to consultations).

Data not provided by Register Secretariat due to GDPR

Data not provided by Register Secretariat due to GDPR

Think tanks and research institutions

Grants, EU funding, Donations