Walter Quattrociocchi is a Full Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, leading the Center of Data Science and Complexity for Society (CDCS). His research interests encompass data science, network science, cognitive science, and data-driven modeling of dynamic processes in complex networks. Professor Quattrociocchi has an extensive publication record in peer-reviewed conferences and journals, including Nature and PNAS. His research on misinformation spreading has informed the Global Risk Report 2016 and 2017 of the World Economic Forum. International media have extensively covered his work, including Scientific American, New Scientist, The Economist, The Guardian, New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Fortune, Poynter, and The Atlantic.
He has published three books: “Misinformation. Guida alla società dell’informazione e della credulità” (Franco Angeli), “Liberi di Crederci. Informazione, Internet e Post Verità” (Codice Edizioni), and “Polarizzazioni: Informazioni, Opinioni e altri demoni dell’infosfera” (Franco Angeli).
In 2017, Professor Quattrociocchi coordinated the round table on Fake News and the role of Universities and Research in countering fake news, chaired by the President of Italy's Chamber of Deputies, Mrs. Laura Boldrini. In 2018, he served as the scientific advisor to the Italian Communication Authority (AGCOM), and in 2020, he was a member of the Task Force to Counter Hate Speech, appointed by the Minister of Innovation. He has recently been one of the Principal Investigators of the IRIS research coalition (UK/G7) focused on combating misinformation about vaccine hesitancy and climate change.
In 2023, the US State Department appointed him to the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on the topic of Data-Driven Policies. Professor Quattrociocchi is regularly invited to deliver keynote speeches and guest lectures at major academic institutions and other organizations.
He is currently serving as Academic Editor in ACM Transactions on The Web, Nature Scientific Reports
Articles and Activities
Bloomberg: "Is the Internet getting meaner? No, It just feels that way". https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-12/is-the-web-getting-meaner-no-it-just-feels-that-way
Le Scienze: "Come non è cambiata la tossicità sulle piattaforme in Rete". https://www.lescienze.it/news/2024/04/05/news/tossicita_piattaforme_online-15545462/
El Pais: "Regardless of the platform or algorithm, it’s humans that make social media toxic". https://english.elpais.com/technology/2024-03-20/regardless-of-the-platform-or-algorithm-its-humans-that-make-social-media-toxic.html#
Le Scienze: "Infodemia: una nuova sfida per la salute pubblica" di Walter Quattrociocchi e Matteo Cinelli. https://www.lescienze.it/plus/edicola/edicola.jsp
Nature: "The epic battle against coronavirus misinformation and conspiracy theories". https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01452-z
Corriere della Sera: "G7 L'italiano che combatte l'esitazione vaccinale". https://www.corriere.it/esteri/21_giugno_02/g7-l-italiano-che-lotta-contro-l-infodemia-vaccini-combattiamo-fake-news-ma-problema-altro-c107c882-c3b3-11eb-9651-e9e5e7dd2e3d.shtml
RaiNews: "Societa tra Complessità e Entropia Informativa". https://www.rainews.it/articoli/2022/02/societ-tra-complessit-ed-entropia-informativa-8e29313c-726e-4322-990b-64bc3defc39d.html
Repubblica: "Quattrociocchi: "Facebook favorisce l'odio, ma non è un complotto". https://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2021/10/30/news/quattrociocchi_facebook_favorisce_l_odio_ma_non_e_un_complotto_e_la_legge_della_pubblicita_-324299493/
Sette - Corriere della sera. Intervista a Walter Quattrociocchi. http://vittoriozincone.it/2017/03/24/walter-quattrociocchi-sette-marzo-2017/
Ars Technica: The social media "echo-chamber" is real. https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/03/the-social-media-echo-chamber-is-real/
Economist: Bubble trouble: how internet echo chambers disrupt society http://shapingthefuture.economist.com/bubble-trouble-internet-echo-chambers-disrupt-society/
Bloomberg: How Facebook makes us dumber https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-01-08/how-facebook-makes-us-dumber
Washington Post: Confirmed: Echo chambers exist on social media. So what do we do about them? https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/07/14/confirmed-echo-chambers-exist-on-social-media-but-what-can-we-do-about-them/?utm_term=.af301645181a
New York Times: How the Internet Is Loosening Our Grip on the Truth https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/03/technology/how-the-internet-is-loosening-our-grip-on-the-truth.html?_r=0
Washington Post: What was fake on the Internet this week: Why this is the final column https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/12/18/what-was-fake-on-the-internet-this-week-why-this-is-the-final-column/?utm_term=.c92f4d480f7f
Washington post: Facebook has repeatedly trended fake news since firing its human editors https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/10/12/facebook-has-repeatedly-trended-fake-news-since-firing-its-human-editors/?utm_term=.c7a060803531
Washington post: Here’s how scientific misinformation, such as climate doubt, spreads through social media https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/01/04/heres-how-scientific-misinformation-such-as-climate-doubt-spreads-through-social-media/?utm_term=.7baef765fe82
Washington Post: Why your Facebook News Feed is full of conspiracy theories https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/04/23/why-your-facebook-news-feed-is-full-of-conspiracy-theories/?utm_term=.92c01a71e445
Fortune: Here’s Why Stamping Out Fake News Is a Lot Harder Than You Think http://fortune.com/2016/11/17/fake-news-problem/
The Atlantic: How to Start a Conspiracy Theory on Facebook https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/03/how-to-start-a-conspiracy-theory-on-facebook/284511/
La Stampa: Ufo, ET, sbarco sulla Luna: la scienza di costruire bufale (e di smontarle) http://www.lastampa.it/2017/01/30/scienza/il-cielo/ufo-et-sbarco-sulla-luna-la-scienza-di-costruire-bufale-e-di-smontarle-FUSBOtqP0qwkRDUeiIDHqM/pagina.html
Le Scienze: La disinformazione corre sui social http://www.lescienze.it/news/2016/01/05/news/diffusione_voci_disinformazione_facebook_social_media-2919669/
Repubblica: Come ti costruisco una bufala sul web https://inchieste.repubblica.it/it/repubblica/rep-it/2015/01/08/news/come_ti_vendo_una_bufala_sul_web-103114905/
Corriere della sera: Così i social hanno condizionato la campagna elettorale http://www.corriere.it/tecnologia/social/16_novembre_10/cosi-social-network-hanno-condizionato-campagna-elettorale-trump-clinton-e500c26c-a710-11e6-8208-49eea13f646a.shtml
TEDx Milano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edFICvqdb4w
Le cattive notizie girano di più di quelle buone, ma anche no. Con Marco Montemagno: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxkEoGN_59Q&t=47s
Lectio Magistralis Ph.D Graduation Cerimony University of Verona: From confirmation bias to echo chambers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jWgLe-Z4AI
Biennale Democrazia. Walter Quattrociocchi e Carlo Freccero: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n_28LXhBDE