https://www.platformer.news/stanford-internet-observatory-shutdown-stamos-di... The shutdown comes amid *a sustained and increasingly successful campaign
among Republicans* <https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/06/06/disinformation-researchers-congress-jim-jordan/?ref=platformer.news> to discredit research institutions and discourage academics from investigating political speech and influence campaigns. SIO and its researchers have been *sued three times* <https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/research/2023/06/23/stanford-u-wash-faculty-fought-disinformation-got-sued?ref=platformer.news> by conservative groups alleging that its researchers colluded illegally with the federal government to censor speech, forcing Stanford to spend millions of dollars to defend its staff and students. In parallel, Republican House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and his Orwellian “*Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government* <https://judiciary.house.gov/subcommittees/committee-judiciary-118th-congress/select-subcommittee-weaponization-federal?ref=platformer.news>” have subpoenaed documents at Stanford and other universities, selectively leaked fragments of them to friendly conservative outlets, and misrepresented their contents in public statements.
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