Last week, Re-Imagine Europa participated in the annual EU Disinfo Lab conference that took place in Riga, Latvia. A yearly rendez-vous for worldwide experts working on disinformation to meet and discuss the advancements of efforts to combat disinformation. With elections involving half of the world’s population this year, the conference felt especially timely, providing a crucial reality check on how well our democratic safeguards are holding up.
Over the course of two days, the conference explored the most pressing issues related to disinformation from various angles. Key topics included the impact of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) on elections, health, climate change, and gender issues. Additionally, attendees delved into the new challenges posed by generative AI, advancements in cybersecurity, and the vital role that communities and partnerships play in this fight.
In powerful closing speeches, both Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General, and Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Values and Transparency, emphasised the need to prioritise healthy, trustworthy information systems. Their words underscored how vital it is to defend the integrity of our democratic processes.
This event closely aligns with the work of the NODES project, which highlights how perceptions and narratives are key drivers of polarisation. As disinformation continues to spread, it’s crucial to foster critical thinking through media literacy, fact-checking, and innovative depolarisation efforts to build lasting resilience. Understanding how perceptions shape our views is at the heart of this shift toward a deeper exploration of cognitive science and its role in the appeal of disinformation campaigns. Dr. Robin Blom captured this well in his presentation, emphasising that “we need to better understand human memory, because we know that our perceptions and memories are inherently flawed and biased”.
The EU Disinfo Lab conference was a powerful reminder of the collective effort needed to combat disinformation. It reaffirmed that we must act now to cultivate strong, critical minds, in order to withstand the growing tide of disinformation and ensure long-term resilience for our societies.