The Critical Internet Studies Institute (CISI) turns emerging technology intelligence into action.
We pair exceptional research collaborators with engagement experts to mobilize knowledge and strategies that combat misinformation-at-scale, ensure community safety and privacy, and build capacity for a “public interest internet.”
Dr. Joan Donovan
Dr. Chris Gilliard
Programs:
Journalists and Investigators:
Investigations Workshop
Journalists, Researchers, and Civil Society:
Networked Incitement
Librarians:
Saving the Internet from Big Tech
Technologists as Builders and Advocates:
Public Interest Internet
Research:
Dr. Chris Gilliard:
Luxury Surveillance Lab
The Luxury Surveillance Lab studies how companies influence policy, how these technologies impact bodily autonomy, and how consumer devices like smartwatches and video doorbells contribute to broader surveillance systems.
Dr. Joan Donovan:
Networked Incitement
Networked incitement is the use of social media to organize political violence through disinformation and harassment. CISI tracks these threats and helps institutions respond.
In the Press:
CISI staff are regular commentators at the contested front of public knowledge and emerging technology.
The Problem With Cyberlibertarianism – The Nation
Protests Erupt Against Elon Musk's Cost-Cutting Initiatives – Pinnacle Gazette
The Control Shift Podcast:
Debuting in spring 2025 and co-hosted by Dr. Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, our podcast elevates practitioners in truth-telling.
Season 1
The future of journalism is unwritten
The first season of Control Shift, The Future of Journalism is Unwritten, explores how participatory media is reshaping journalism, making everyone a “journal-ish.” It examines four key futures for journalism—unionization, nonprofit news, indie media, and the democratization of journalistic practices—to build new infrastructures for real TALK (Timely Accurate Local Knowledge).