Center for Countering Digital Hate

What Center for Countering Digital Hate does

Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization founded in 2016 by Imran Ahmed, structured as a dual entity comprising CCDH Inc, a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 86-2006080) headquartered at 1250 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC, and CCDH Ltd, a UK not-for-profit company, with an additional office in Brussels. The organization investigates online hate, antisemitism, misinformation, climate denial, and digital harms across social media platforms using AI-assisted content analysis (text, image, and multimodal) combined with proprietary methodologies including simulated-account testing of platform recommendation algorithms and analysis of platform advertising libraries. Its core deliverables include a research publication portfolio of 109+ investigative reports, the STAR Framework (a four-pillar policy blueprint — Safety by Design, Transparency, Accountability, Responsibility — published in 2022 and endorsed by multiple civil society organizations), interactive public tools such as the 'Spot the Fake' deepfake-detection quiz, an encrypted Tipline for whistleblower submissions, and educational resources including a Parents Guide.

CCDH serves four primary constituencies: governments and policymakers (UK Government and Ofcom, EU institutions, US Congress/Senate), civil society organizations and advocacy coalitions, the general public (via campaigns, petitions, and donations), and media organizations (as a recurring expert source). Customer-like relationships are not transactional — there are no paid products or services; CCDH instead disseminates research, policy recommendations, and campaigns to create reputational and economic pressure on social media and AI companies. Revenue is generated through philanthropic donations from trusts, individual giving, and a major-gifts program targeting five-, six-, and seven-figure contributions from high-net-worth donors and family foundations. The go-to-market motion is hybrid: community-led (petitions, public campaigns, coalition building), event-driven (Global Summit, Climate Information Integrity Summit), and policy-sales-led (direct engagement with legislators and regulators). Distribution runs through the counterhate.com website and subdomains (act.counterhate.com, donate.counterhate.com), active social media accounts across Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Bluesky, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X, email newsletters, and a dedicated media relations function ([email protected]).

Name

Center for Countering Digital Hate

Legal name

Center for Countering Digital Hate Inc.

Website

https://counterhate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CCDH is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization founded in 2016 that investigates online hate, misinformation, and AI harms, publishing reports and the STAR Framework while serving governments, civil society, media, and the public globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Safety Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

UGC Moderation, Trust & Safety Platforms (MPACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fraud Risk Management & Anti-Bribery/Anti-Corruption (ABAC) (BPAHAFAL), Cyberbullying Prevention, Reporting & Case Management (EDAFALAG)

Keywords

• Online hate research
• Platform accountability
• Misinformation policy
• Social media regulation
• Counter-disinformation campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: CCDH is funded by philanthropic trusts and individual donors. The organization operates as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 86-2006080) in the US and as a UK not-for-profit company. Donations support research, advocacy campaigns, and policy work to counter digital hate and misinformation.
2. Individual Giving and Major Gifts: The organization has a major gifts program focused on individual and family philanthropy, seeking five, six, and seven-figure donations from high-net-worth donors and family foundations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that produces investigative research and policy advocacy to hold social media and AI companies accountable for online harms including hate speech, antisemitism, misinformation, and harms to children. Its core deliverables include research reports exposing platform failures, the STAR Framework policy blueprint, interactive public tools, and direct engagement with UK, EU, and US policymakers that has demonstrably shaped legislation such as the Online Safety Act.

Product overview

The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) is a nonprofit organization that operates primarily through research and advocacy, not a traditional SaaS product. Its offerings include investigative research reports on online harms, policy advocacy campaigns, and public education tools. Key products include the STAR Framework (a regulatory policy framework), Spot the Fake (an interactive AI vs. real image quiz), the Parents Guide (educational resource), and a Tipline for whistleblowers. The organization publishes extensive research on topics including antisemitism, AI chatbot safety, climate misinformation, child safety, and incel communities across platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research and Investigations
• Policy Advocacy
• Public Campaigns
• STAR Framework
• Spot the Fake
• Parents Guide
• Tipline
• Story Collection Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Harmful eating disorder recommendations on YouTube fell from 1 in 3 (2024) to 1 in 9 (2026) following regulatory pressure CCDH research helped inform
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Online Safety Act NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCDH partnered with other online safety and democracy organizations in the Online Safety Act Network to publish an Elections Code of Practice and 10 Point Plan to Strengthen the OSA. Maeve Walsh, Director of the Online Safety Act Network, endorsed CCDH's STAR Framework as 'a clear, practical framework for online harm reduction with safety by design, rather than reactive sticking plasters, at its heart.'
• Molly Rose FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndy Burrows, CEO of Molly Rose Foundation, endorsed CCDH's STAR Framework, stating it 'sets out important and actionable principles that can embed safety-by-design, transparency and accountability into how platforms are designed and run' and provides 'a meaningful roadmap for a safer and more accountable internet.'
• HateAidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJosephine Ballon, CEO of HateAid, endorsed the STAR Framework as 'a holistic framework, for a more responsible future of social media.'
• Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJulie Scelfo, Executive Director of Mothers Against Media Addiction, stated MAMA supports STAR because 'technology must serve humanity — not the other way around.'
• Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating DisorderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerS. Bryn Austin, Director, endorsed the STAR Framework stating 'I support STAR because our children deserve a world where they can grow and thrive free of crass profiteering of predatory tech companies.'
• CNN Investigative UnitmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCDH conducted joint research with CNN's investigative unit for the Killer Apps report testing AI chatbots' willingness to assist users planning violent attacks. This collaboration provided additional credibility and media reach for the research findings.
• JFNA (Jewish Federations of North America)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCDH conducted joint research with JFNA for the 'Hate for Sale' report showing how Instagram and e-commerce platforms amplify and monetize racism, antisemitism, and hate merchandise.
• 62 Survivors of TerrorismmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCDH research led 62 survivors and bereaved families from 19 separate terrorism incidents to pen an open letter calling for urgent AI regulation ahead of the UK King's Speech, demonstrating CCDH's role in mobilizing affected communities for policy advocacy.
• Eating Disorders CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCDH collaborated with the Eating Disorders Coalition for research on YouTube's recommendation of eating disorder content. Dr. Christine Peat, President of the Eating Disorders Coalition Board, provided commentary on CCDH's research findings showing regulation works when enforced.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Anti-Defamation League (ADL): US-based NGO combating antisemitism, hate, and extremism with a significant online safety/digital harms research arm. Highly comparable to CCDH in mission focus, advocacy model, and government/regulator engagement in the US.
• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC): US civil rights organization that monitors hate groups, conducts investigations, and produces influential reports. Comparable to CCDH in nonprofit advocacy model, research-led influence, and litigation/advocacy posture on hate and extremism.
• Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT): Tech-policy advocacy organization that engages with US, EU, and UK regulators on platform accountability, AI safety, and online civil liberties. Directly comparable to CCDH in policy advocacy, government engagement, and EU/US/UK transatlantic footprint.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): Long-standing digital rights nonprofit that litigates, advocates, and publishes on online speech, privacy, and platform accountability. Comparable to CCDH in advocacy model and platform-policy focus, though EFF leans more toward free-expression framing.
• HOPE Not Hate: UK anti-extremism organization with research, education, and campaigning arms. Directly comparable to CCDH in UK hate/extremism research, and shares personnel lineage (CCDH's COO Jemma Levene was previously Deputy Director at HOPE Not Hate).
• Internet Matters: UK nonprofit focused on children's online safety, providing research, policy advice, and parent-education tools. Closely comparable to CCDH's child-safety research and UK/EU regulator engagement.

Emerging players

• Algorithmic Justice League: Research and advocacy organization focused on AI harms, bias, and accountability. Comparable to CCDH's AI-specific research output (e.g., Killer Apps, Grok AI investigations) but smaller in scale and reach.
• Thorn: Nonprofit that builds technology and conducts research to combat child sexual exploitation online. Comparable to CCDH in child-safety mission and tech-platform accountability advocacy, though Thorn is more product-led.
• ARTICLE 19: International freedom-of-expression organization that litigates, advocates, and publishes on digital rights globally. Comparable to CCDH in civil-society advocacy and international policy engagement, but with a more free-expression orientation.
• Mozilla Foundation: Nonprofit arm of Mozilla that funds research and advocacy on trustworthy AI, internet health, and platform accountability. Similar to CCDH in AI-safety research and global policy advocacy, with a stronger technical/standards focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCf7g0jpEKuZ5fSBuAuwQaqA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ccdhate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-countering-digital-hate
• Instagraminstagram.com/counterhate
• Xx.com/CenterHate78227

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Countering Digital Hate