Renee DiResta
@noupside.bsky.social
🌐Studies influence, propaganda, platform design@Georgetown
✍🏼Lawfare,The Atlantic
📕Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality (invisiblerulers.com) —how influencers, algorithms, &online crowds shape public opinion
🦹🏻♀️Twitter Files supervillain
✍🏼Lawfare,The Atlantic
📕Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality (invisiblerulers.com) —how influencers, algorithms, &online crowds shape public opinion
🦹🏻♀️Twitter Files supervillain
Pinned
Renee DiResta
@noupside.bsky.social
· Apr 15
New from me: an essay on the House UnAmerican Activities Committee, and its remarkable 30 year history of witch hunts & blacklists.
It chronicles the progression of how industries & academia went from capitulation to defiance,& what we can take from that today
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/proc...
It chronicles the progression of how industries & academia went from capitulation to defiance,& what we can take from that today
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/proc...
Reposted by Renee DiResta
New from me: “working the refs” has come for Wikipedia. The same type of attacks alleging anti-conservative bias that right wing politicians have make about social media are coming for the encyclopedia — because of its critical role in shaping AI answer engines.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The Right-Wing Attack on Wikipedia
The free internet encyclopedia is widely used to train AI. That’s why conservatives are trying to dethrone it.
www.theatlantic.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:41 PM
New from me: “working the refs” has come for Wikipedia. The same type of attacks alleging anti-conservative bias that right wing politicians have make about social media are coming for the encyclopedia — because of its critical role in shaping AI answer engines.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
New from me: “working the refs” has come for Wikipedia. The same type of attacks alleging anti-conservative bias that right wing politicians have make about social media are coming for the encyclopedia — because of its critical role in shaping AI answer engines.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The Right-Wing Attack on Wikipedia
The free internet encyclopedia is widely used to train AI. That’s why conservatives are trying to dethrone it.
www.theatlantic.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:41 PM
New from me: “working the refs” has come for Wikipedia. The same type of attacks alleging anti-conservative bias that right wing politicians have make about social media are coming for the encyclopedia — because of its critical role in shaping AI answer engines.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by Renee DiResta
Este livro da @noupside.bsky.social é o melhor que li nos últimos anos sobre a interação entre os algoritmos, a cultura de influenciadores e as multidões de pessoas que conectam ambos.
Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality (English Edition)
Compre Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality (English Edition) de DiResta, Renée na Amazon.com.br. Confira também os eBooks mais vendidos, lançamentos e livros digitais exclusivos.
amzn.to
November 12, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Este livro da @noupside.bsky.social é o melhor que li nos últimos anos sobre a interação entre os algoritmos, a cultura de influenciadores e as multidões de pessoas que conectam ambos.
"It's just some people online" was the phrase that I got from the CDC after presenting as a pro-vax parent activist 10 yrs ago on how we were trying to build a counter-movement online but had no resources. This is an analysis we published in Wired, that later became the cover of The Economist. 1/2
November 12, 2025 at 4:03 PM
"It's just some people online" was the phrase that I got from the CDC after presenting as a pro-vax parent activist 10 yrs ago on how we were trying to build a counter-movement online but had no resources. This is an analysis we published in Wired, that later became the cover of The Economist. 1/2
Katherine Boyle is a Silicon Valley caricature at this point.
I have a boy who's very good at math, not so good at illusory authority, and I parent him on how to work within the confines of that system but damn lol. "It's ok to be a dick if you're good at math" is not where I've taken it.
I have a boy who's very good at math, not so good at illusory authority, and I parent him on how to work within the confines of that system but damn lol. "It's ok to be a dick if you're good at math" is not where I've taken it.
November 12, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Katherine Boyle is a Silicon Valley caricature at this point.
I have a boy who's very good at math, not so good at illusory authority, and I parent him on how to work within the confines of that system but damn lol. "It's ok to be a dick if you're good at math" is not where I've taken it.
I have a boy who's very good at math, not so good at illusory authority, and I parent him on how to work within the confines of that system but damn lol. "It's ok to be a dick if you're good at math" is not where I've taken it.
Truth Social now has its own custom Perplexity AI search that is having some real struggles with cognitive dissonance.
It knows the facts — the election wasn’t stolen! Vaccines don’t cause autism!
But it ALSO seems to have had its sources constrained to right wing crank media 🫠 Poor bot…
1/2
It knows the facts — the election wasn’t stolen! Vaccines don’t cause autism!
But it ALSO seems to have had its sources constrained to right wing crank media 🫠 Poor bot…
1/2
![Was the 2020 election rigged
AnswerNo. Courts, state election officials from both parties, and federal agencies found no evidence of outcome-changing fraud in the 2020 election, and dozens of lawsuits challenging results were rejected for lack of standing or insufficient evidence[3].
Essential context:
• Donald Trump and allies filed numerous suits across battleground states; most were dismissed or failed, and Joe Biden was certified with 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232[3].
• Claims about widespread ballot fraud (e.g.,
"ballot mules") became central to political arguments but were not substantiated in court proceedings that could have altered certified outcomes[3].
Recent controversy:
Ask a tollow-uo….](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5bnbgj7gwebt6hhub4pa5c7n/bafkreidqkupe3e4ol3ytmz7mka72myxazms6ls4tqonfzotcosexa4q2sq@jpeg)
![<
Results
Do vaccines cause autism
Answer
No. Large, well-designed studies and expert reviews have found no causal link between vaccines (including MMR and thimerosal-containing vaccines) and autism[2][4].
Key points:
• The Institute of Medicine concluded the evidence favors rejecting a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism; CDC supports this conclusion 21[4].
• The 1998 Lancet paper that sparked the myth was fraudulent and retracted; subsequent large studies have repeatedly found no connection between vaccines and autism[2].
• Major pediatric and public health organizations state vaccines are safe, effective, and not associated with autism when given on the recommended schedule 2].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5bnbgj7gwebt6hhub4pa5c7n/bafkreiffuqvhkpcdalheh6t6wazp3vq2lnjxuypjgvyhzoe2bpjfmweyye@jpeg)
![Is Robert F Kennedy Jr a good source of information on vaccines
Answer
No. Public-health and medical authorities widely document that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promotes vaccine misinformation and makes inaccurate claims about vaccine safety and policy[2].
• Vaccine experts have refuted core claims Kennedy has repeated for years (e.g., about thimerosal, mercury quantities, and alleged links to autism), noting major factual errors and retractions tied to his past articles and statements[2].
• In a high-profile Senate hearing, Kennedy endorsed assertions that mRNA vaccines
"cause serious harm, including death, particularly in young people," statements](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5bnbgj7gwebt6hhub4pa5c7n/bafkreifwpf4lnwm22nkmeeermdu5y5ve33jmft6lx5xzlcepxipq2y3vhy@jpeg)
November 12, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Truth Social now has its own custom Perplexity AI search that is having some real struggles with cognitive dissonance.
It knows the facts — the election wasn’t stolen! Vaccines don’t cause autism!
But it ALSO seems to have had its sources constrained to right wing crank media 🫠 Poor bot…
1/2
It knows the facts — the election wasn’t stolen! Vaccines don’t cause autism!
But it ALSO seems to have had its sources constrained to right wing crank media 🫠 Poor bot…
1/2
Reposted by Renee DiResta
“Tucker in the grocery store” content incoming lol
November 11, 2025 at 9:55 AM
“Tucker in the grocery store” content incoming lol
Reposted by Renee DiResta
I'm excited to announce a series of short essays in @techpolicypress.bsky.social, published in conjunction with CTRL at the University of Pittsburgh, on
"Threats to knowledge and US Democracy"
All the pieces will be made available here:
www.techpolicy.press/category/pro...
"Threats to knowledge and US Democracy"
All the pieces will be made available here:
www.techpolicy.press/category/pro...
Provocations for the University of Pittsburgh's Communication Technology Research Lab (CTRL) Symposium on Threats to Knowledge and US Democracy | TechPolicy.Press
Tech Policy Press is a nonprofit media and community venture intended to provoke new ideas, debate and discussion at the intersection of technology and democracy. We publish opinion and analysis.
www.techpolicy.press
November 11, 2025 at 2:38 PM
I'm excited to announce a series of short essays in @techpolicypress.bsky.social, published in conjunction with CTRL at the University of Pittsburgh, on
"Threats to knowledge and US Democracy"
All the pieces will be made available here:
www.techpolicy.press/category/pro...
"Threats to knowledge and US Democracy"
All the pieces will be made available here:
www.techpolicy.press/category/pro...
Reposted by Renee DiResta
Steven Adler used to lead product safety at OpenAI. On this week’s episode of The Big Interview, he talks about what AI users should know about their bots. www.wired.com/story/the-bi...
The Former Staffer Calling Out OpenAI’s Erotica Claims
Steven Adler used to lead product safety at OpenAI. On this week’s episode of The Big Interview, he talks about what AI users should know about their bots.
www.wired.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Steven Adler used to lead product safety at OpenAI. On this week’s episode of The Big Interview, he talks about what AI users should know about their bots. www.wired.com/story/the-bi...
“Tucker in the grocery store” content incoming lol
November 11, 2025 at 9:55 AM
“Tucker in the grocery store” content incoming lol
Reposted by Renee DiResta
“Structural ignorance.” Yes.
Public health depends on citizens accepting scientifically-grounded guidance. When official institutions produce politically-determined science and independent verification infrastructure is eliminated, the capacity for evidence-based health policy collapses, writes Renée DiResta.
How Political Power is Capturing Knowledge Systems and Manufacturing Structural Ignorance | TechPolicy.Press
We're witnessing the simultaneous capture of knowledge-producing institutions and the elimination of independent verification mechanisms, writes Renée DiResta.
www.techpolicy.press
November 10, 2025 at 4:19 PM
“Structural ignorance.” Yes.
Reposted by Renee DiResta
Public health depends on citizens accepting scientifically-grounded guidance. When official institutions produce politically-determined science and independent verification infrastructure is eliminated, the capacity for evidence-based health policy collapses, writes Renée DiResta.
How Political Power is Capturing Knowledge Systems and Manufacturing Structural Ignorance | TechPolicy.Press
We're witnessing the simultaneous capture of knowledge-producing institutions and the elimination of independent verification mechanisms, writes Renée DiResta.
www.techpolicy.press
November 10, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Public health depends on citizens accepting scientifically-grounded guidance. When official institutions produce politically-determined science and independent verification infrastructure is eliminated, the capacity for evidence-based health policy collapses, writes Renée DiResta.
Marc Andreesen,🥚, picked a fight with *the Pope* over a pretty basic call to exercise discernment when building AI.
Marc truly believes that any constraint on anything he does is fundamentally illegitimate.
Marc truly believes that any constraint on anything he does is fundamentally illegitimate.
November 9, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Marc Andreesen,🥚, picked a fight with *the Pope* over a pretty basic call to exercise discernment when building AI.
Marc truly believes that any constraint on anything he does is fundamentally illegitimate.
Marc truly believes that any constraint on anything he does is fundamentally illegitimate.
Augustiner Stammhaus in Munich for dinner tonight. A room covered in seashells.
November 9, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Augustiner Stammhaus in Munich for dinner tonight. A room covered in seashells.
Reposted by Renee DiResta
The Father Coughlin story is interesting because of parallels to the modern era. Wildly popular charismatic figure (30M listeners at peak when US had ~120M ppl). Private broadcasters tried to fact-check, pre-clear speeches, ban him while fans protested the censorship. FDR tried to stay out of it.
There’s no daylight between what Candace says here about “the Jews” & what Nazi propagandists & Father Coughlin said about the Jews in the 1930s. Her show is one of the top 5 “conservative” podcasts in the US. She has 5.5 million subscribers on YouTube and 7.3 million followers on X.
November 8, 2025 at 11:31 PM
The Father Coughlin story is interesting because of parallels to the modern era. Wildly popular charismatic figure (30M listeners at peak when US had ~120M ppl). Private broadcasters tried to fact-check, pre-clear speeches, ban him while fans protested the censorship. FDR tried to stay out of it.
The Father Coughlin story is interesting because of parallels to the modern era. Wildly popular charismatic figure (30M listeners at peak when US had ~120M ppl). Private broadcasters tried to fact-check, pre-clear speeches, ban him while fans protested the censorship. FDR tried to stay out of it.
There’s no daylight between what Candace says here about “the Jews” & what Nazi propagandists & Father Coughlin said about the Jews in the 1930s. Her show is one of the top 5 “conservative” podcasts in the US. She has 5.5 million subscribers on YouTube and 7.3 million followers on X.
November 8, 2025 at 11:31 PM
The Father Coughlin story is interesting because of parallels to the modern era. Wildly popular charismatic figure (30M listeners at peak when US had ~120M ppl). Private broadcasters tried to fact-check, pre-clear speeches, ban him while fans protested the censorship. FDR tried to stay out of it.
Wrote a book about this as it was happening!
- political influencers are the new propagandists
- influencers + algorithms + online crowds shape public opinion
- the right is a hell of a lot better at it than the left
For more evolving online trends, a substack: agentsofinfluence.substack.com 😛
- political influencers are the new propagandists
- influencers + algorithms + online crowds shape public opinion
- the right is a hell of a lot better at it than the left
For more evolving online trends, a substack: agentsofinfluence.substack.com 😛
In Trump 2.0, MAGA-aligned influencers and media emerge as the new mainstream reut.rs/3LO6yCi
In Trump 2.0, MAGA-aligned influencers and media emerge as the new mainstream
A Reuters examination details how rightist influencers and Trump officials have formed a powerful alliance, working together to target perceived adversaries, amplify false claims and reshape the media landscape. The shift comes as a growing number of social platforms and traditional outlets accommodate Trump.
reut.rs
November 8, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Wrote a book about this as it was happening!
- political influencers are the new propagandists
- influencers + algorithms + online crowds shape public opinion
- the right is a hell of a lot better at it than the left
For more evolving online trends, a substack: agentsofinfluence.substack.com 😛
- political influencers are the new propagandists
- influencers + algorithms + online crowds shape public opinion
- the right is a hell of a lot better at it than the left
For more evolving online trends, a substack: agentsofinfluence.substack.com 😛
Ask Joe Rogan how he feels now about having had bullshit artist Mike Benz aka Frame Game on to just spout “something something CIA” fantasies for hours.
Who’s paying Frame Game? Same people as are paying John Solomon, and War Room. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Who’s paying Frame Game? Same people as are paying John Solomon, and War Room. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
November 7, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Ask Joe Rogan how he feels now about having had bullshit artist Mike Benz aka Frame Game on to just spout “something something CIA” fantasies for hours.
Who’s paying Frame Game? Same people as are paying John Solomon, and War Room. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Who’s paying Frame Game? Same people as are paying John Solomon, and War Room. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Renee DiResta
Here's my piece for @lawfaremedia.org on my experience covering the Sandwich Guy trial. Warning: longer than 280 characters!
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/sand...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/sand...
Sandwich Guy, Thrower of Hoagie–Or Hero?
The trial ended in an acquittal. But the proceedings felt like a strange sort of performance art—highly amusing and highly menacing at the same time.
www.lawfaremedia.org
November 6, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Here's my piece for @lawfaremedia.org on my experience covering the Sandwich Guy trial. Warning: longer than 280 characters!
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/sand...
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/sand...
Reposted by Renee DiResta
More than 200 people in the room for this @knightcolumbia.org panel on the future of press freedom. Thanks to @columbiajournalism.bsky.social for hosting!
November 5, 2025 at 5:43 PM
More than 200 people in the room for this @knightcolumbia.org panel on the future of press freedom. Thanks to @columbiajournalism.bsky.social for hosting!
lol “Everything is a conspiracy when you don’t know how anything works”, NYC fusion voting edition
Musk just retweets whatever paranoid crank shit he sees at this point.
Musk just retweets whatever paranoid crank shit he sees at this point.
November 5, 2025 at 3:07 AM
lol “Everything is a conspiracy when you don’t know how anything works”, NYC fusion voting edition
Musk just retweets whatever paranoid crank shit he sees at this point.
Musk just retweets whatever paranoid crank shit he sees at this point.
8th grade algebra is good: “But detracking didn’t work. Some people like to muddy the waters on this, so I’m going to be exhaustive: The share of Black and Hispanic students scoring “proficient” in math didn’t budge. The racial gap in…AP classes didn’t budge.“
www.theargumentmag.com/p/education-...
www.theargumentmag.com/p/education-...
Education isn't a zero-sum game
The strange equity crusade against algebra
www.theargumentmag.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:24 AM
8th grade algebra is good: “But detracking didn’t work. Some people like to muddy the waters on this, so I’m going to be exhaustive: The share of Black and Hispanic students scoring “proficient” in math didn’t budge. The racial gap in…AP classes didn’t budge.“
www.theargumentmag.com/p/education-...
www.theargumentmag.com/p/education-...
Counterpoint: this bullshit policy was touted as something that should be rolled out nationwide, as a fking paragon of progressive policy. It showed up in “detracking” decks in districts across the country.
While parents in SF literally filed FOIAs bc the district lied ab impact. No retcons tks.
While parents in SF literally filed FOIAs bc the district lied ab impact. No retcons tks.
I don't think it helps the debate about what Democrats should do to pick an obscure thing that some Democrat somewhere may have said -- like on teaching eighth grade algebra -- and then attribute it to Democrats generally.
November 4, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Counterpoint: this bullshit policy was touted as something that should be rolled out nationwide, as a fking paragon of progressive policy. It showed up in “detracking” decks in districts across the country.
While parents in SF literally filed FOIAs bc the district lied ab impact. No retcons tks.
While parents in SF literally filed FOIAs bc the district lied ab impact. No retcons tks.
Reposted by Renee DiResta
. @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social dropped in on many online microfandoms to conquer the fragmented media problem, including a personal favorite of mine, the streamer who walks around New York making beats for strangers to freestyle to @ariathome.bsky.social
November 4, 2025 at 3:13 PM
. @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social dropped in on many online microfandoms to conquer the fragmented media problem, including a personal favorite of mine, the streamer who walks around New York making beats for strangers to freestyle to @ariathome.bsky.social
"Aristopopulism" definitely has a ring to it! Lol. People should be running with that bc jfc it's one of those things where they don't realize how it sounds outside of the Marc Andreessen group chat... 😂
No no the elites are The New York Times and the blue haired libs NOT the billionaires...
No no the elites are The New York Times and the blue haired libs NOT the billionaires...
November 4, 2025 at 6:05 PM
"Aristopopulism" definitely has a ring to it! Lol. People should be running with that bc jfc it's one of those things where they don't realize how it sounds outside of the Marc Andreessen group chat... 😂
No no the elites are The New York Times and the blue haired libs NOT the billionaires...
No no the elites are The New York Times and the blue haired libs NOT the billionaires...