The Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO), one of the largest academic groups investigating misinformation, is pledging to continue its work following multiple reports of it slashing its staff.
The group reduced its staff to just three employees, according to a report in The Washington Post on Friday that cited eight anonymous sources. The news was first reported by Platformer, a media group focused on technology and democracy.
Stanford University spokesperson Dee Mostofi told Inside Higher Ed: “To correct the record, the Stanford Internet Observatory is not being dismantled.”
The Observatory was founded in 2019 as part of the Stanford Cyber Policy Center. According to SIO’s 2022 annual report—its most recent data—the group ballooned to 11 staffers with 356 students enrolled in SIO courses and nearly 40 student RAs.
The group also served as a research powerhouse with a focus on social media amid growing misinformation: In 2022 alone it published 15 white paper reports, 10 journal articles and garnered more than 5,000 media mentions.
Stanford and its SIO researchers were named in multiple federal lawsuits last year by conservative-led groups claiming the researchers colluded with the government to censor speech.
In November 2023, SIO founding director Alex Stamos left the group but remained as a lecturer at Stanford.
Mostofi said the Observatory will continue under new leadership, although did not say who that would be or if there is a timeline to fill the role.
“Stanford remains deeply concerned about efforts, including lawsuits and congressional investigations, that chill freedom of inquiry and undermine legitimate and much-needed academic research—both at Stanford and across academia,” Mostofi said in a statement.
In addition to its journal articles and course offerings, the SIO co-founded the Election Integrity Partnership in 2020, alongside the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public. Its goal was to “defend our elections against those who seek to undermine them by exploiting weaknesses in the online information environment.” According to the partnership’s website, its work concluded in the 2022 election cycle and will not continue.
