A5014610119- Social Media and Politics
- Hate Speech and Cyberbullying Detection
- Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
- Misinformation and Its Impacts
- Political Conflict and Governance
- Media Influence and Politics
- Electoral Systems and Political Participation
- Global Health Workforce Issues
- Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Migration, Health and Trauma
- Migration and Labor Dynamics
- Populism, Right-Wing Movements
- Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies
- Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts
- Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence
- Media, Religion, Digital Communication
- Education and Islamic Studies
- Middle East Politics and Society
- Freedom of Expression and Defamation
- Migration, Refugees, and Integration
- Library Science and Administration
- Data Visualization and Analytics
- Bangladesh Politics, Society, and Development
- Mental Health via Writing
- Complex Network Analysis Techniques
University of Colorado Boulder
2019-2025
University of Colorado System
2020-2024
New York University
2017-2022
Stanford University
2019-2022
Migration Policy Institute
2019-2022
ETH Zurich
2019
Stanford Medicine
2018
Saudi Arabia has imprisoned and tortured activists, religious leaders, journalists for voicing dissent online. This reflects a growing worldwide trend in the use of physical repression to censor online speech. In this paper, we systematically examine consequences imprisoning well-known Saudis by analyzing over 300 million tweets as well detailed Google search data from 2010 2017 using automated text analysis crowd-sourced human evaluation content. We find that deterred continuing However, it...
We use an experiment across the Arab Twittersphere and a nationally representative survey in Lebanon to evaluate what types of counter-speech interventions are most effective reducing sectarian hate speech online. explore whether extent messages priming common national identity or religious identity, with without elite endorsements, decrease hostile anti-outgroup language. find that elite-endorsed prime consistently spread speech. Our results provide suggestive evidence elites may play...
Can exposure to celebrities from stigmatized groups reduce prejudice? To address this question, we study the case of Mohamed Salah, a visibly Muslim, elite soccer player. Using data on hate crime reports throughout England and 15 million tweets British fans, find that after Salah joined Liverpool F.C., crimes in area dropped by 16% compared with synthetic control, F.C. fans halved their rates posting anti-Muslim relative other top-flight clubs. An original survey experiment suggests salience...
Trumping Hate on Twitter? Online Speech in the 2016 U.S. Election Campaign and its Aftermath
Can exposure to celebrities from a stigmatized group reduce prejudice toward that writ large? We estimate the causal effect of Mohammed Salah—a visibly Muslim soccer player— joining Liverpool Football Club on Islamophobia, using hate crime reports throughout England, 15 million tweets British fans, and survey experiment F.C. fans. find crimes in Merseyside (home F.C.) dropped by 16% compared synthetic control, fans halved their rates posting anti-Muslim relative other top-flight clubs. Our...
With a folk understanding that political polarization refers to socio-political divisions within society, many have proclaimed we are more divided than ever. In this account, has been blamed for populism, the erosion of social cohesion, loss trust in institutions democracy, legislative dysfunction, and collective failure address existential risks such as Covid-19 or climate change. However, at global scale there is surprisingly little academic literature which conclusively supports these...
Abstract For Iranians and the Iranian diaspora, Farsi Twittersphere provides an important alternative to state media outlet for political discourse. But this understudied online space has become opinion manipulation battleground, with diverse actors using inauthentic accounts advance their goals shape narratives. Examining trending discussions crossing social cleavages in Iran, we explore how dynamics of differ across issue areas. Our analysis suggests that by is more prevalent divisive than...
Abstract How successful is the Islamic State’s online strategy? To what extent does organization achieve its goals of attracting a global audience, broadcasting military successes, and marketing Caliphate? Using Twitter YouTube search data, collected throughout 2015 early 2016, we assess how suspected ISIS accounts, sympathizers, opponents behave across two social media platforms, offering key insights into successes limitations ISIS’s information warfare strategy. Analyzing tweet content...
When governments run influence operations they may leverage in-house capabilities, outsource to digital mercenaries, or use a combination of these strategies. We theorize that because it provides plausible deniability if the operation is uncovered, and offers access cutting-edge tactics beyond those common established government institutions. Using data from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, we test implications this theory via two covert online campaign case studies, each focused on Syria,...
How does exile affect online dissent? By internationalizing activists’ networks and removing them from day-to-day life under the regime, we argue that fundamentally alters political opportunities strategic behavior. We test effect of on public discourse in case Venezuela, through an analysis over 5 million tweets by 357 activists spanning seven years. Our results suggest after going into increasingly emphasize foreign-led interventions to shape their home country politics, focus less local...
Despite an emergent body of literature examining refugees' use online tools to access information, little is known about what types information refugees encounter or engage with. Analyzing 143,201 posts and 802,173 comments on public Arabic-language Facebook pages targeting Syrian from 2013 2018, we systematically describe one most popular ecosystems. Additionally, engagement comment data develop organic measures interactions with different sources. We find that linking official sources...
Abstract Do exclusionary policies mobilize minority political participation? We theorize that the threat of creates and resurfaces grievances facilitate mobilization. To test our theory, we leverage Donald Trump's announcement a peace plan for Israeli–Palestinian conflict, which posed to citizenship status Palestinian citizens Israel residing in Triangle area adjacent West Bank. First, using more than 170,000 posts from public Facebook groups pages, show was indeed salient event residents....
The ability of news media to criticize government is a core pillar freedom and often taken as evidence meaningful democratization. Existing indices typically use scoring criteria or expert surveys develop over-time measures freedom. In this article, we the largest existing dataset Arabic-language evaluate how political reporting about changes over course successful failed democratic transitions in Egypt Tunisia. Using entirely unsupervised ALC word-embedding techniques, demonstrate generate...
Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates Twitter penetration in world. Despite high levels repression, platform is frequently used to discuss political topics. Recent disclosures from have revealed state-backed attempts at distorting online information environment through influence operations (IOs). A growing body research investigated disinformation and foreign-sponsored IOs English-speaking world; but comparatively little known about other contexts or domestic use IOs. Using public...
Immigration legal services providers (ISPs) are a principal source of support for low-income immigrants seeking immigration benefits. Yet there is scant quantitative evidence on the prevalence and geographic distribution ISPs in United States. To fill this gap, we construct comprehensive, nationwide database 2,138 geocoded ISP offices that offer low- or no-cost to immigrants. We use spatial optimization methods analyze network measure ISPs’ proximity immigrant population. Because both highly...
abstract Do online social networks affect political tolerance in the highly polarized climate of postcoup Egypt? Taking advantage real-time networked structure Twitter data, authors find that not only is greater network diversity associated with lower levels intolerance, but also longer exposure to a diverse linked less expression intolerance over time. The this relationship persists both elite and non-elite networks. Exploring mechanisms by which might tolerance, offer suggestive evidence...
Positive intergroup contact has been shown to improve attitudes toward stigmatized minorities. A concern with the paradigm is that it may place unreasonable demands on minorities be high-performers. Are judged more harshly for under-achieving relative majority group? Conversely, are readily rewarded their success? We use evidence from English top-tier soccer answer these questions. measure how journalists and fans react players’ performances, using objective measures of performance. find...