The Digital Technology for Democracy Lab is a collaboration across the University of Virginia that explores how rapidly evolving digital technologies can challenge, but might also fortify, democratic institutions and practices.
Pioneering transdisciplinary research to explore democracy in the digital age
Our Focus
Research & Programming
Data in the Dark
Automation’s Ecologies
Visual Misinformation
AI & the Environment
Student Technology Council
Technology & Disinformation
Social Contagions
Gender & Tech
Co-Opting AI
Urban Digital Twins
Technology & Democracy Exchange
Data Center Policies
Descendant-Led Digital Humanities Lab & Network
Cryptocurrency & Democracy
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DTD Lab Welcomes New Postdocs & Faculty
Meet the Lab
Reimagining AI for Environmental Justice & Creativity Collection of Essays
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Insights from the Visual Generative AI Propaganda Convening
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Video Library
FLiNG Report Launch: How Finfluencers, Fin-Tech, and FOMO Shape Young Adults’ Financial Well-being
Cryptocurrency & Democracy
In the News
The Sad Legacy of the Bets
David Nemer, DTD Lab faculty co-lead, recently discussed the research he has been developing for the past two years on the impacts of online betting in favelas. The results show that bets have hijacked the passion for football and that, even if they are banned, they will leave a deep legacy of social dependence.
The parallel World Cup: fake news grows and affects the Brazilian national team
Rumors and conspiracy theories gain traction and generate wear and tear, as in the case involving Ancelotti's son. David Nemer, DTD Lab faculty co-lead, explains that fake news circulates in an environment where emotions outweigh evidence. Especially during the World Cup, when emotions are running high. creating a completely inflamed environment, more conducive to misinformation.
Environmental Impacts of AI
Lauren Bridges, DTD Lab faculty co-lead,'s latest reference article, is a comprehensive take on AI’s often contradictory environmental footprint. While AI is frequently touted as a panacea for climate change—optimizing smart grids, managing resources, and accelerating materials discovery—it is fundamentally extractive and consumptive.
Join our vibrant lab and help us explore the intersection of digital technology and democracy.
Current Opportunities