Publications

Across the world, states have taken initiatives against disinformation. However, we still lack a structured understanding of these measures assessing commonalities and differences, advantages, and risks of government responses to disinformation. To develop a typology, we...

In American politics, disinformation has a long tradition, but its corrosive effects have only recently become a salient political issue. The spread of disinformation is intensified as consumers shift their news consumption from local outlets to large online platforms with...

Citizens’ ability to make informed choices is an essential prerequisite for democracy, but it is undermined by the spread of disinformation. Critically, citizens’ ability to make informed decisions is not hampered by a lack but by an overload of information. Reviewing the...

Disinformation is spread in every part of the world. In this comparative report, we analyse similarities and differences based on a 6-part international research series commissioned and supported by the Upgrade Democracy team between 2023-2024 under the theme “strengthening...

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...

The academic and public discourse on platforms focuses mainly on the industry’s major digital sites, which are therefore the target of regulatory activities (such as the Digital Services Act, or DSA, at the EU level). What is lacking, however, is a debate about platforms...

Our information ecosystem is under pressure, challenging democracies around the world. Digital disinformation reaches millions of people with devasting effects: online campaigns turned into hate-motivated violent attacks in Christchurch, Halle an der Saale, and El Paso;...

The upcoming 2024 EU elections present an important moment for digital campaigning, the governance of online discourses – and the overall future of Europe. A key challenge will come in the form of disinformation campaigns, hate speech and attempts to manipulate public...