Disinformation Threat in Europe

Disinformation has been part of security debates for years, taking a prominent role in discussions on hybrid warfare, strategic communications, cyber security, and societal resilience. Though propaganda is nothing new in the field of security, in the 21st century disinformation poses a more robust threat than ever before.

Disinformation campaigns can easily be used to create disorder, fear, and resentment across populations. We have seen from the storming of the US Capitol in January 2021, the EU elections in 2019, and the 2020 and 2016 US elections, that disinformation can pose a robust challenge to democracy, incite violence, and facilitate foreign intervention in internal state matters. Disinformation can and has posed a clear threat to national as well as global security and will continue to do so in the future.

This event will launch the YPFP Brussels Disinformation Series by providing an overview of the situation of disinformation in Europe. We will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the information landscape in Europe, what main disinformation campaigns we see across Europe at this time, and what future disinformation trends will be.

It will also present an overview of the ways that disinformation is being countered in Europe, particularly at the EU level. We will take a look at what the EU’s Code of Practice on Disinformation has achieved so far and what the new Digital Services Act package proposal would mean for counter disinformation efforts.

Speakers:

- Claire Pershan, Policy Coordinator at the EU DisinfoLab.

- Roman Adamczyk, Research Coordinator at the EU DisinfoLab

Moderator:

- Marija Sulce, Deputy Director of Security & Defence, YPFP Brussels 

For more information, please contact Marija Sulce at marija.sulce@ypfp.org. 

This event is organised together with the EU DisinfoLab.