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UK’s Ministry of Defence funds “hacker culture” research

The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) is doling out millions of dollars for research pertaining to hacker culture and the impact social media has in moments of crises.

Over the past five years, the MoD's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has funded multiple PhD projects, and this year awarded more than $100,000 toward research on the rise of digital insurgency, according to The Telegraph. The study will analyze hacker collective Anonymous in order to understand the group's goals and what entices potential members to join.

Additionally, the MoD gave students a grant to look at the influence online and offline behavior has on users' social network identities. The PhD candidates hope to determine the role these platforms have on events such as the Arab Spring.

Since the funding first began, more than $1.4 million has been awarded.

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