We are a three-year research initiative addressing social media’s most urgent problems, including misinformation, privacy breaches, harassment, and content governance. By working with academia, industry, and the public, we hope to promote and create healthier online ecosystems.

Featured RSM Work

August 17, 2022

Announcing the 2022-23 RSM Assembly Fellows

Thirteen interdisciplinary professionals who will build new interfaces, implement novel protocols, and create additional artifacts that reimagine digital social space in service of democracy and the public interest.

Community

June 9, 2022

How to Fix Twitter and Facebook

Jonathan Zittrain delves into the complex question of defining ownership and governance in the social media public square.

June 7, 2022

‘Living by Protocol’ meditates on the impact of social media and its future

MetaLAB (at) Harvard & FU Berlin exhibition, featuring RSM Sr. Advisor Sarah Newman, runs through July 3 at Harvard Art Museums.

June 3, 2022

Political Affiliation Influences Our Fear of Data Collection

Visiting scholar Elissa Redmiles and colleagues report on their original research: Americans’ fears about governmental data surveillance are changeable, based on which party is in power.

April 25, 2022

Understanding Chilling Effects

Jon Penney blends legal and privacy theory with social theory to propose a new understanding of chilling effects in this award winning article.

April 6, 2022

Telegram’s Embrace of Contradiction

Will Marks and David Nemer assess Telegram’s content moderation.

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Analysis and Theory

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Recent

April 7, 2022

Announcing the Institute for Rebooting Social Media’s 2022-23 Visiting Scholars

Scholars will be in residence developing research into social media and the prospects for interventions to improve it.

June 9, 2022

How to Fix Twitter and Facebook

Jonathan Zittrain delves into the complex question of defining ownership and governance in the social media public square.

June 7, 2022

‘Living by Protocol’ meditates on the impact of social media and its future

MetaLAB (at) Harvard & FU Berlin exhibition, featuring RSM Sr. Advisor Sarah Newman, runs through July 3 at Harvard Art Museums.

June 3, 2022

Political Affiliation Influences Our Fear of Data Collection

Visiting scholar Elissa Redmiles and colleagues report on their original research: Americans’ fears about governmental data surveillance are changeable, based on which party is in power.