Protecting democracy from digital disinformation

In this year of super-elections, with the European elections in June and the US presidential election in November, the question of defending liberal democracies and electoral processes from the escalating threat of ever-more sophisticated digital manipulation and disinformation has become paramount.

In this new dossier, we analyse how disinformation tactics – often carried out by foreign actors – AI-generated false narratives, and deep-fake content pollute our information ecosystems, erode trust in democratic institutions, and amplify societal divisions, eventually distorting and even disrupting the decision-making process.

The European Union has been proactive in proposing and devising robust countermeasures, establishing a comprehensive legal framework aimed at building resilience and ensuring a healthy digital sphere. However, whether this is sufficient will depend on the cooperation between public institutions, civil society organisations and private stakeholders to promote transparency, stop the spread of AI-fueled disinformation efforts and shape a digital future that is still in the making.