Social Media Lab
@socialmedialab.ca
SocialMediaLab.ca Posts by @PhilipMai.com re: politics of tech, socmed, migration, democracy, mis/disinfo, & propaganda. PoliDashboard.org, Communalytic.org, DeepfakesTracker.org, ConflictMisinfo.org, NoteTracker.socialmediadata.org, & KM.socialmedialab.ca
👀 Forget gloves, the US is moving into the brass knuckles phase. www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/u...
November 11, 2025 at 12:03 AM
👀 Forget gloves, the US is moving into the brass knuckles phase. www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/u...
Chinese (???) Bluesky reply bots broke containment again. I wonder what we posted that triggered them today. Anyone else experiencing an influx of suspicious new followers today?
November 10, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Chinese (???) Bluesky reply bots broke containment again. I wonder what we posted that triggered them today. Anyone else experiencing an influx of suspicious new followers today?
Canada is in trouble. Canada’s close economic & industrial ties w/the US, typically a strength, make it highly vulnerable to US tariff shocks. Consequently, Canada faces one of the largest GDP declines among the countries analyzed, despite only modest price effects.
November 7, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Canada is in trouble. Canada’s close economic & industrial ties w/the US, typically a strength, make it highly vulnerable to US tariff shocks. Consequently, Canada faces one of the largest GDP declines among the countries analyzed, despite only modest price effects.
"Why American-style polarisation is spreading across the West"
Two words: algorithms and incentives. Mostly incentives. Until we modify or eliminate incentives, all we can do is watch as the fabric of society is pulled apart, strand by strand. www.ft.com/content/5060...
Two words: algorithms and incentives. Mostly incentives. Until we modify or eliminate incentives, all we can do is watch as the fabric of society is pulled apart, strand by strand. www.ft.com/content/5060...
November 7, 2025 at 2:57 PM
"Why American-style polarisation is spreading across the West"
Two words: algorithms and incentives. Mostly incentives. Until we modify or eliminate incentives, all we can do is watch as the fabric of society is pulled apart, strand by strand. www.ft.com/content/5060...
Two words: algorithms and incentives. Mostly incentives. Until we modify or eliminate incentives, all we can do is watch as the fabric of society is pulled apart, strand by strand. www.ft.com/content/5060...
Trump needs to stop trying to turn the people's house into a Russian palace.
"‘Temu level shit’: Why Trump’s White House makeover has outraged historians and experts" english.elpais.com/usa/2025-10-...
"‘Temu level shit’: Why Trump’s White House makeover has outraged historians and experts" english.elpais.com/usa/2025-10-...
November 6, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Trump needs to stop trying to turn the people's house into a Russian palace.
"‘Temu level shit’: Why Trump’s White House makeover has outraged historians and experts" english.elpais.com/usa/2025-10-...
"‘Temu level shit’: Why Trump’s White House makeover has outraged historians and experts" english.elpais.com/usa/2025-10-...
One of our research questions was: "Who’s Driving the Conversation on Telegram about the war?"
Answer:
Answer:
November 6, 2025 at 4:25 PM
One of our research questions was: "Who’s Driving the Conversation on Telegram about the war?"
Answer:
Answer:
You can now search our database of 3.5 million U.S. political, election, and social issue ads on Facebook and Instagram, dating back to October 10, 2023. Discover who’s running these ads and who they’re targeting. app.polidashboard.org/meta_ads?cou...
November 1, 2025 at 12:01 PM
You can now search our database of 3.5 million U.S. political, election, and social issue ads on Facebook and Instagram, dating back to October 10, 2023. Discover who’s running these ads and who they’re targeting. app.polidashboard.org/meta_ads?cou...
Happy Halloween 🎃
November 1, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Happy Halloween 🎃
Judging by much of the media coverage, you’d think all tensions between China and the US had suddenly vanished, a gross exaggeration that distorts the limited reality of what was actually decided. What they actually agreed on was a 1-year trade truce. The Chinese readout was tellingly more subdued.
October 30, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Judging by much of the media coverage, you’d think all tensions between China and the US had suddenly vanished, a gross exaggeration that distorts the limited reality of what was actually decided. What they actually agreed on was a 1-year trade truce. The Chinese readout was tellingly more subdued.
October 28, 2025 at 6:19 PM
The mood: 13 of the Top 20 Blocked accounts on Bluesky belong to people and entities associated with the Trump administration.
October 28, 2025 at 12:42 PM
The mood: 13 of the Top 20 Blocked accounts on Bluesky belong to people and entities associated with the Trump administration.
These scores, ranging from 0 to 1, estimate the likelihood that readers would perceive an interaction as toxic or prosocial. For example, a toxicity score of 0.7 suggests that 7 out of 10 people might see the post as toxic.
October 28, 2025 at 10:53 AM
These scores, ranging from 0 to 1, estimate the likelihood that readers would perceive an interaction as toxic or prosocial. For example, a toxicity score of 0.7 suggests that 7 out of 10 people might see the post as toxic.
The Civility Analyzer calculates toxicity scores (such as Toxicity, Insult, & Threat) & prosocial scores (like Compassion, Curiosity, and Respect) for each post.
October 28, 2025 at 10:53 AM
The Civility Analyzer calculates toxicity scores (such as Toxicity, Insult, & Threat) & prosocial scores (like Compassion, Curiosity, and Respect) for each post.
Advancing Social Media Rsrch & the Study of Online Civility: Our new Civility Analyzer helps researchers/journalists identify posts containing threats, insults, harassment, or profanity. It also detects prosocial communication, incl. support, cooperation & kindness. socialmedialab.ca/2025/06/17/c...
October 28, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Advancing Social Media Rsrch & the Study of Online Civility: Our new Civility Analyzer helps researchers/journalists identify posts containing threats, insults, harassment, or profanity. It also detects prosocial communication, incl. support, cooperation & kindness. socialmedialab.ca/2025/06/17/c...
We analyzed 125,840 posts from 55 verified English-language Telegram channels that often discussed the Ru/Ukr war & found that only 21% directly addressed the war. The rest leaned heavily into partisan and geopolitical themes, particularly U.S. domestic issues. socialmedialab.ca/2025/10/27/n...
October 27, 2025 at 10:02 PM
We analyzed 125,840 posts from 55 verified English-language Telegram channels that often discussed the Ru/Ukr war & found that only 21% directly addressed the war. The rest leaned heavily into partisan and geopolitical themes, particularly U.S. domestic issues. socialmedialab.ca/2025/10/27/n...
Using a snowball sample of 21,907 Telegram channels, we identified 55 English-language verified channels linked to war-related content. Using the research tool @Communalytic.org, which analyzes social media discourse, we then examined 125,840 public posts from these channels. Here's what we found:
October 27, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Using a snowball sample of 21,907 Telegram channels, we identified 55 English-language verified channels linked to war-related content. Using the research tool @Communalytic.org, which analyzes social media discourse, we then examined 125,840 public posts from these channels. Here's what we found:
We like white bread as much as the next person. However, this is a whole lot of a particular type of white bread.
Since July, the aesthetic of the U.S. Department of Labor has undergone a significant transformation on X and Facebook. But this is how it's done ... Little by little.
Since July, the aesthetic of the U.S. Department of Labor has undergone a significant transformation on X and Facebook. But this is how it's done ... Little by little.
October 26, 2025 at 11:53 AM
We like white bread as much as the next person. However, this is a whole lot of a particular type of white bread.
Since July, the aesthetic of the U.S. Department of Labor has undergone a significant transformation on X and Facebook. But this is how it's done ... Little by little.
Since July, the aesthetic of the U.S. Department of Labor has undergone a significant transformation on X and Facebook. But this is how it's done ... Little by little.
From the before time, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest ..."
Now there's an app to self-deport.
Now there's an app to self-deport.
October 25, 2025 at 11:23 PM
From the before time, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest ..."
Now there's an app to self-deport.
Now there's an app to self-deport.
Here's a peek at the demographic of the people who have been served DHS & ICE's Facebook and Instagram ads, as well as the states the ads are targeting.
You can explore these and other advertisers in more detail via our public database of ads here: app.polidashboard.org/meta_ads?cou...
You can explore these and other advertisers in more detail via our public database of ads here: app.polidashboard.org/meta_ads?cou...
October 25, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Here's a peek at the demographic of the people who have been served DHS & ICE's Facebook and Instagram ads, as well as the states the ads are targeting.
You can explore these and other advertisers in more detail via our public database of ads here: app.polidashboard.org/meta_ads?cou...
You can explore these and other advertisers in more detail via our public database of ads here: app.polidashboard.org/meta_ads?cou...
DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are among the 15 biggest advertisers on Facebook and Instagram over the past seven days. See their ads and who they are targeting here: app.polidashboard.org/meta_ads?cou...
October 25, 2025 at 6:21 PM
DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are among the 15 biggest advertisers on Facebook and Instagram over the past seven days. See their ads and who they are targeting here: app.polidashboard.org/meta_ads?cou...
"A few hours before Trump's late-night post that said he would be terminating trade talks, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute also took issue with the ad." www.cbc.ca/news/world/t...
October 24, 2025 at 4:23 AM
"A few hours before Trump's late-night post that said he would be terminating trade talks, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute also took issue with the ad." www.cbc.ca/news/world/t...
It looks like no one in Ottawa will be getting much sleep tonight. President Trump is angry, and by tomorrow, Canada likely won’t be pleased either.
“Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.” — @ realDonaldTrump
“Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.” — @ realDonaldTrump
October 24, 2025 at 3:44 AM
It looks like no one in Ottawa will be getting much sleep tonight. President Trump is angry, and by tomorrow, Canada likely won’t be pleased either.
“Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.” — @ realDonaldTrump
“Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.” — @ realDonaldTrump
How is this even real? Check out the White House's Major Events Timeline. #stayclassymyfriends www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-wh...
October 24, 2025 at 1:08 AM
How is this even real? Check out the White House's Major Events Timeline. #stayclassymyfriends www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-wh...