The Tech Impact & Policy Center

About The Center 

The Tech Impact and Policy Center (TIP) is a social technology research and impact center at Stanford University with a mission to transform research into real-world impact that advances human agency and well-being in the era of social media and AI. The center's goal is to produce research that sparks change through partnerships, policies and tools that make a tangible difference in everyday lives.

TIP is led by founding director Jeff Hancock, a recognized international expert in the psychology of technology, and founding director of the Stanford Social Media Lab. Research and programs explore the latest developments in social technology and AI. Our center is made up of four programs: AI and Digital Literacy, Youth and Phones, AI and the Future of Social Science, and Re-imagining Social Media.

In addition to its core programs, TIP spearheads affiliated research projects and hosts the annual Trust and Safety Conference, held each September on the Stanford campus. The Center also publishes the Journal of Online Trust and Safety and co-hosts the Trust and Safety Teaching Consortium. It is part of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

Our Leadership 

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Jeff Hancock is founding director of the Center and well-known for his research on how people use deception with technology, from sending texts and emails to detecting fake online reviews.  He is the Harry and Norman Chandler Professor of Communication at Stanford University, Founding Director of the Stanford Social Media Lab, a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute (FSI), Founding Editor of the Journal of Online Trust & Safety, and previously the co-director of the Stanford Cyber Policy Center. 

A leading expert in behavioral sciences and the psychology of online interaction, Professor Hancock studies the psychological aspects of social media and AI technology. Professor Hancock earned his PhD in Psychology at Dalhousie University, Canada and was Professor of Information Science and Communication at Cornell prior to joining Stanford in 2015.