Combating Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference in the Digital Age: The Role of the EU

Foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) is a growing threat to democracies worldwide, with social media platforms as prime battlegrounds. In Europe, domestic and foreign malign actors engage in information operations aimed at undermining trust in institutions, influencing elections, and polarizing societies. The rapid spread of manipulated content, AI-generated fake news, and state-sponsored propaganda has been exacerbated by the digital ecosystem’s algorithms, which prioritize engagement over accuracy.

In this rapidly changing environment, what is the role of the EU? How can it increase transparency, accountability, and resilience against information manipulation? How can the Digital Services Act, which is designed to hold platforms accountable for illegal and harmful content, and the European Media Freedom Act, which seeks to safeguard media independence and pluralism, effectively curb FIMI without infringing on freedom of speech? What mechanisms are there to ensure compliance by major social media platforms and how can enforcement be strengthened? Can regulatory efforts keep up with evolving disinformation tactics, including AI-generated content?

The panelists will explore these critical and pressing issues and discuss the path forward for safeguarding democratic integrity in the digital era. 

For more information, please contact Zsuzsanna Végh ([email protected]).

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a nonpartisan policy organization committed to the idea that the United States and Europe are stronger together.