The Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization founded in 2018, specializing in the study and mitigation of online threats like misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and ideological extremism. It employs big-data analytics, social media monitoring, and behavioral modeling to identify how harmful narratives spread across digital networks—much like a contagion in epidemiology or finance—and forecasts potential real-world impacts on communities, institutions, and democracy.
Background and Founding
NCRI was co-founded by psychologist and neuroscientist Joel Finkelstein (a Princeton Ph.D. graduate with expertise in addiction and mind control research) and investor Marc F. Sohn. The idea emerged from Finkelstein's work at Princeton's Neuroscience Institute, where he drew parallels between neural addiction pathways and how social media algorithms amplify divisive content. Headquartered in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, NCRI operates as a 501(c)(3) entity (EIN: 82-3649399) and collaborates with academic partners, including Rutgers University's Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience and the Center for Critical Intelligence Studies, through its flagship Network Contagion Lab. This lab trains students in threat forecasting, extremism modeling, and open-source intelligence (OSINT).
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