For more than a decade, I have watched and studied how innocent people—the parents of shooting victims, humanitarian responders, public health workers, and election officials—come under attack online from conspiracy theorists and disinformation campaigns that confuse facts, mislead audiences, and destroy reputations.
This year I crossed over from researcher to subject. I became the focus of false rumors, conspiracy theories, personal harassment, congressional investigations, and even physical threats. Many colleagues, both in my home institution at the University of Washington and at other schools around the country, are experiencing the same. Collectively, we worry about the security and well-being of our students and colleagues, as well as the long-term impacts on our field and on academic freedom more broadly. Already, we are coping with a chilling effect. We have seen prominent voices in public debates go silent, encumbered by legal stress and institutional pressure, during a time when we arguably need them the most.
As we navigate this multifaceted and sustained assault on disinformation researchers, it’s important to take stock of the implications for our country and, most immediately, the upcoming 2024 elections.
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