The Programme on Democracy & Technology (DemTech)
The Programme on Democracy & Technology (previously known as the Project on Computational Propaganda (ComProp)) is a research group based at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford. Researchers with the project investigate the interaction of algorithms, automation, and politics. Our work analyzes how computational tools, like social media bots, are used to manipulate public opinion or spread disinformation. We use perspectives from organizational sociology, human computer interaction, communication, information science, and political science to interpret and analyze the evidence we are gathering. Project activities were approved by the University of Oxford’s Research Ethics Committee, CUREC OII C1A 15-044.
Our civil society workshops, which provided the inspiration for this website, were spearheaded by Erin Simpson. The development of the DemTech Navigator was led by Yung Au and Cindy Ma.
Find out more about our research.
Funders
The DemTech team gratefully acknowledges the key support of the European Research Council for the project ‘Computational Propaganda: Investigating the Impact of Algorithms and Bots on Political Discourse in Europe’, Proposal 648311, 2015–2020, Philip N. Howard, Principal Investigator.
For additional information about the funders supporting the broader work of the Programme on Democracy & Technology, please visit the main project site. We would like to extend our gratitude towards the funders of our civil society workshop series: Adessium, Ford Foundation, Hewlett, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, and Luminate Group. The DemTech Navigator site is made possible by funding from Luminate Group.
Please note that while we are delighted to point to the resources created by the many excellent organizations featured on this site, the views and recommendations expressed in them are solely those of the authoring parties, and not necessarily those of the Programme on Democracy & Technology, the University of Oxford, or our funders.
