Six steps to protect researchers' digital security

"Now, one year into Donald Trump's second term as US President, anti-science rhetoric and attacks show no sign of abating - both in the United States and elsewhere. In the United States, the federal government took steps to control university admissions, hiring and free-speech policies. In response to political pressure, individual researchers and entire departments have reported having to purge any mentions of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from grant applications and websites."

"The European Parliament conducts an annual Academic Freedom Monitor report; the 2024 version found that "the state of de facto academic freedom across the EU continues to erode", owing to such forces as changing political systems, intensifying geopolitical tensions and the growing use and impact of social media (see go.nature.com/4subrrf). One blog post by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society in Berlin notes that "disinformation researchers across Europe are being sued, harassed and publicly smeared simply for doing their job" (see go.nature.com/4q45auq)."

Academics worldwide face increasing harassment, legal pressure and political interference that threaten academic freedom and researchers' safety. A January 2025 survey found that 53% of US faculty feared their work would make them targets of harassment. The Scholars at Risk network documented 395 attacks on scholars and academic institutions in 49 countries between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025. Federal actions in the United States have targeted university admissions, hiring and free-speech policies, and researchers report purging DEI mentions. The EU monitor found de facto academic freedom eroding amid political shifts, geopolitics and social media. Underreporting leaves targeted academics isolated.

Read at Nature