Tamar Mitts

I am an Assistant Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs and a Faculty Member at the Data Science Institute and the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University. My research addresses emerging challenges at the intersection of technology and security, where I study how armed groups use digital platforms for mobilization and recruitment, how state and non-state actors shape public opinion by manipulating media content, and how technology companies address growing trust and safety issues on their platforms.

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My book project, Moderating Extremism: The Challenge of Combatting Online Harms, examines why non-state violent actors are able to successfully advance their cause on social media despite the growing efforts to regulate their content. I offer rich empirical evidence from various sources, including data on extremist groups’ online networks, archives of banned terrorist propaganda, and data on platforms’ enforcement actions to show the mechanisms that enable violent actors to remain a threat despite the increase in content moderation.  

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My other work has been published, or is forthcoming, in top political science journals including the American Political Science Review, International Organization, the Journal of Politics, and Perspectives on Politics, among other outlets.