Mitigating disinformation in Europe. Challenges and opportunities for civil society organisations and private actors

The spread of disinformation in Europe poses a significant threat to democratic processes and trust in media and democratic institutions. To address this issue, effective regulation and support from the European Union and member state governments are essential. Various actors, including civil society organisations, research institutions, the private sector, and the media, employ various strategies such as fact-checking, research, media literacy, and more to counter disinformation. However, they face a series of challenges, including the volume and speed of disinformation, limited resources, and dilemmas between commercial interests and public responsibility. This report by authors from GPPi (Germany) emphasises the need to prioritise enforcement of existing (EU) regulations, sustainable funding mechanisms (for civil society efforts in particular), broader data access for research, strengthening media literacy, and adopting a long-term, comprehensive approach involving all stakeholders to effectively mitigate the threat of disinformation and foster a resilient information ecosystem.

This report is part of an international research series conducted under the theme “strengthening democracy, countering disinformation”, commissioned and supported by the Upgrade Democracy team between 2023-2024.