Casey Newton & Zoe Schiffer report that The Stanford Internet Observatory is being dismantled. The Observatory "was created to learn about the abuse of the internet in real time, to develop a novel curriculum on trust and safety that is a first in computer science, and to translate our research discoveries into training and policy innovations for the public good."

SIO and its researchers have been sued three times 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.

Stanford denies that the Observatory is being shut down. This is in the context of GOP attacks on fact-checking (gift link), and making it increasingly obvious that they are taking direction from Putin.