*Fellowships in the CAS Research Group * *“Messaging Apps, Encryption and the Enticement of Extreme Speech”* *Center for Advanced Studies, LMU Munich* The Center of Advanced Studies (CAS) at LMU Munich, Germany, is advertising two fellowships for Internet media researchers (for a stay up to 3 months) to join the CAS Research Group *"Below the Radar? Messaging Apps, Encryption and the Enticement of Extreme Speech"*. The Center for Advanced Studies at LMU Munich is a forum for intensive international academic exchange. Its purpose is to promote cooperation with national and international Visiting Fellows who work closely on collaborative projects with LMU professors. In order to intensify cooperation between researchers at LMU Munich and leading experts from other universities, the Center has set up a major program, the CAS Research Groups. The CAS Research Group *“**Messaging Apps, Encryption and the Enticement of Extreme Speech*” is initiated by Professor Dr. Sahana Udupa (Media Anthropology, LMU) and will commence its work in October 2024: https://www.cas.lmu.de/en/programs/cas-research-groups/below-the-radar-messa... The focus of the CAS Research Group is to develop global critical inquiry into entanglements between encrypted messaging apps and forms of extreme speech such as hateful language and disinformation. The group will approach the problem with an empirical focus on WhatsApp – an end-to-end encrypted, cross- platform messaging service owned by Meta, which has emerged as a central communication tool for a vast number of people, with more than 2 billion users and 100 billion daily messages around the world. The group will also extend its focus to Telegram, Signal and similar encrypted messaging services. Based on insights from different regions and diverse contexts of use, the research group will analyze the role of encrypted messaging services in extreme speech cultures globally, and highlight the regulatory and methodological challenges they have raised for academic research and policymaking. The CAS Research Group will bring together internationally renowned researchers and policy experts who are invited to LMU Munich to contribute to the Group’s research. Applications are invited from candidates with · a PhD in a relevant field such as anthropology or communication studies OR Internet policy expertise · ongoing policy-focused or field-based empirical research on encrypted messaging apps and extreme speech in Africa or South Asia · publications relevant to the topic The successful candidates will team up with the group for a co-authored policy and public-focused report on methodological, policy and practical issues in addressing extreme speech on instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp. This report is jointly commissioned by United Nations Peacekeeping. The Center for Advanced Studies will provide financial and organizational support for visits from a stay of up to three months in early 2025, coinciding with the first workshop planned in January 2025. The costs for travel and accommodation as well as an expense allowance will be covered. The successful candidates will receive a workspace in an open and stimulating research environment in an interdisciplinary setting at the Center, and a team of academic researchers, policy experts and factcheckers. *Applications* should consist of a brief outline (1-2 pages) of the expertise and intended contribution to the CAS Research Group. Applications should also contain a résumé including a list of the most recent publications as well as the names of two referees. In order to strengthen the role of women in research, female scholars are strongly encouraged to apply. Please submit all the application documents electronically (in one PDF file) by *29 February 2024 *to Email: researchgroups@cas.lmu.de Center for Advanced Studies Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 80539 München For any questions on the CAS Research Groups please contact Dr. Lena Bouman at CAS: Email: Lena.Bouman@cas.lmu.de