Disinformation
Russia targets social media during French legislative campaign
Est. 5minRussian disinformation campaigns are targeting social media to destabilise the French political scene — currently in a legislative campaign — by steering it more towards the "extremes" and fragmenting the so-called "Republican front", a study found.
Pentagon ran secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China during pandemic
Est. 4minAt the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US military launched a secret campaign to counter what it perceived as China’s growing influence in the Philippines, a nation hit especially hard by the deadly virus.
The Brief – A battle against disinformation was won
Est. 7minWe may like or dislike the results of the European elections, but we can safely say that no major incidents involving propaganda and disinformation took place in the days of 6-9 June, which amounts to a victory for those who are busy countering this threat.
Poland, US launch group against Russian disinformation on Ukraine
Est. 2minThe United States and Poland on Monday (10 June) launched a multinational group based in Warsaw to counter Russian disinformation on the war in neighbouring Ukraine, the US State Department said.
Facebook and TikTok kill fake news story in Italy
Est. 3minA fake news story claiming that Italy might leave the EU if there was low turnout at this weekend's elections shared on Italian social media was taken down by big tech platforms this week.
Commission shrugs off MEPs calls to address social media disinformation risk ahead of elections
Est. 3minWhile MEPs urgently called for measures to address disinformation risks and foreign influence attempts before the EU elections, according to a letter dated 9 April and seen by Euractiv, the European Commission responded just two days before the vote, stating the responsibility lies with tech platforms.
France, Germany, Poland facing ‘permanent’ Russian disinformation attacks: EU
Est. 3minFrance, Germany and Poland have become "permanent" targets for Russian disinformation attacks in the run-up to European Parliament elections this week, a senior EU official said Tuesday (4 June).
TikTok fails ‘disinformation test’ before EU vote, study shows
Est. 4minWildly popular social network TikTok approved adverts containing political disinformation ahead of European polls, a report showed Tuesday (4 June), flouting its own guidelines and raising questions about its ability to detect election falsehoods.
EU’s Stratcom struggles to counter Russian election disinformation
Est. 5minThe European Union's disinformation-busting team last month debunked a Russian-language video on YouTube that said citizens were fleeing dictatorship in EU member Poland and seeking refuge in Belarus, a close ally of Moscow.
In a ‘battle for minds’, Ukrainians fight the daily disinformation storm
Est. 5minSince the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, dozens of projects have emerged in Ukraine to combat disinformation. This is a daily challenge for Ukrainians and, given the high level of media literacy in society, they have been able to resist.
New Caledonia weighs heavy as French Senate approves bill on foreign influence
Est. 4minThe ongoing tensions in France's overseas territory of New Caledonia weighed heavily in a debate at the French Senate, where Senators strengthened and approved a bill on foreign interference.
Meta faces EU investigation for potential digital rulebook violations and disinformation risks
Est. 3minThe European Commission is investigating whether Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, might have violated the DSA in its handling of misinformation.
Europe ministers say more resources needed to combat Russian disinformation online
Est. 4minMinisters from France, Germany, and Poland revealed on Monday (29 April) that the Russian disinformation network "Portal Kombat" has continued growing, with new websites targeting 19 member states and the Western Balkans, and called for more resources to tackle online disinformation ahead of June's EU elections.
Deepfakes of Bollywood stars spark worries of AI meddling in India election
Est. 6minIn fake videos that have gone viral online, two of India's A-lister Bollywood actors are seen criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asking people to vote for the opposition Congress party in the country's ongoing general election.
Pro-Russian Voice of Europe back online from Kazakhstan
Est. 3minThe outlet Voice of Europe, allegedly involved in a pro-Russian propaganda network, has restarted operations, hosted in Kazakhstan after it was sanctioned by the Czech Republic last month, Euractiv’s data shows.
Czechs sanction Medvedchuk, website over pro-Russian EU political influence
Est. 2minThe Czech government on Wednesday (27 March) sanctioned two people including pro-Russian Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk and the news website voiceofeurope.com for leading a pro-Russian influence operation in Europe, the Czech Foreign Ministry said.
Deal on major digital bill: French lawmakers give in to EU Commission demands
Est. 5minFrench lawmakers reached a compromise on Tuesday (26 March) on a hard-fought all-encompassing digital bill, agreeing to water down provisions that would otherwise conflict with EU legislation, white putting sovereign cloud requirements into law.
Disinformation campaigns likely to undermine EU elections, experts say
Est. 4minAttempts to delegitimise the upcoming EU elections in June and discourage the public from voting are expected “to be very much prevalent”, the European Parliament and experts have warned.
EU probe finds most influencers skirting Internal Market rules
Est. 3minWatching a favourite influencer chow down on the latest fast food fad or cocktail may feel like entertainment, but those posts are likely adverts in disguise, the EU said Wednesday (14 February).
Chinese firm behind ‘news’ websites pushes pro-Beijing content globally
Est. 4minMore than 100 websites disguised as local news outlets in Europe, Asia and Latin America are pushing pro-China content in a widespread influence campaign linked to a Beijing public relations firm, digital watchdog Citizen Lab has found.
Germany uncovers Russian disinformation campaign on X
Est. 2minGermany has uncovered a major "pro-Russian disinformation campaign" using thousands of fake accounts on X to
try and stir anger at Berlin's support for Ukraine, a media report said on Friday (26 January).
Election year 2024 ‘prime target’ for disinformation and foreign interference – Borrell
Est. 4minElections across the globe this year will be a "prime target" for countries looking to spread disinformation and undermine democracy, such as Russia, EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell warned on Tuesday (23 January).
US warns of Russian effort to tilt 2024 elections in Europe against Ukraine
Est. 2minThe United States believes Russia will conduct "information operations" aimed at turning opinion in Europe against Ukraine as countries across the continent go to the polls this year, the head of the State Department's office for disinformation said on Thursday (18 January).
Davos: Tech leaders ponder solution to election tampering online
Est. 5minTo maintain online integrity in an election-heavy year around the world, tech leaders gathered in Davos debated on Tuesday evening (16 January) the recent rise of AI and its implications for misleading campaigns and deceptive content in the run-up to polls.