DATA BASED DISINFO DEFENSE CONFERENCE

Operators of the Active Citizens Fund (ACF) programme in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Latvia, led by the Slovak Ekopolis Foundation and the Open Society Foundation, organised a two-day conference on “Data Based Disinfo Defense” for ACF fund operators on 17-18 April 2024 in Bratislava.

The aim of the conference was to examine the nature and extent of the problems related to the spread of disinformation and hoaxes in the selected countries, to look for common solutions to existing problems and to highlight existing good practice in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Latvia. The conference was organised within the framework of the regional civil society initiatives of the Active Citizens Fund programme which is part of the financial assistance from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to the 15 Member States of the European Union. The ACF in Slovakia is administered by the Ekopolis Foundation in partnership with the Open Society Foundation and the Carpathian Foundation.

Disinformation and hoaxes lie in their potentially serious consequences for society: deterioration of public health, social cohesion, prevention of informed decision-making.

Disinformation and hoaxes are spread through a variety of channels, including social media, alternative media, emails, forums and online newsgroups, as well as traditional media. People often spread misinformation unknowingly because they trust the source or are influenced by their own prejudices and emotions. According to surveys conducted in 2023, a significant percentage of the Slovak population (almost 50%) believed various hoaxes and disinformation. Exact figures may vary depending on the specific disinformation and context. For example, surveys have also shown that a significant percentage of people believed false information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines or political events.

The importance of a data-driven fight against disinformation lies in the ability to identify, analyse and address disinformation issues based on facts and evidence. This includes monitoring the spread of misinformation, providing reliable information to the public, promoting critical thinking and digital literacy education, and fostering transparency and accountability in media and online platforms. The data-driven fight against disinformation is a key tool to protect democracy, public health and societal stability.

In Slovakia, we have a number of experts who are dedicated to this topic and are constantly improving the fight against disinformation. There are organisations and individuals who monitor hoaxes and disinformation, as well as those who directly refute them with facts.

Successful countries with a strong position in the fight against disinformation and hoaxes include the Czech Republic and Latvia. That is why we reached out to partners such as the Czech Open Society Foundation Prague and Civic Alliance Latvia. From our research we know that in these countries we can find examples of good practice and useful advice and information (not only) for Slovakia.

The programme consisted of 3 main parts:

A visit to two organizations that play an important role in the fight against disinformation and hoaxes – Gerulata Technologies and GLOBSEC. Mr. Martin Brezina and Mr. Tomáš Kriššák from Gerulata Technologies presented the organisation, its activities and examples of good practice. At the GLOBSEC a panel discussion took place with an expert from the Czech Republic, Mr. Jonáš Syrovátka, and experts from Slovakia, Ms. Katarína Klingová and Mr. Jozef Michal Mintal.

The second day of the event was in the form of a conference. At the beginning, under the leadership of our colleague from the Institute for Democracy, Matej Bel University, Róbert Vancel, the speakers of the panel discussion – Karin Sedláková, Tomáš Kriššák and Dávid Púchovský – introduced themselves. Subsequently, the participants learned a lot about the level of trust in disinformation and hoaxes in Latvia, as well as examples of good practice in combating them during the lecture by Mr. Martins Hirss.

The programme concluded with a panel discussion where experts from Slovakia – Victor Breiner, Karin Sedláková, Tomáš Kriššák and Dávid Púchovský – shared their experience.

The participants of the event also had the opportunity to get to know the capital of Slovakia through a guided tour.

As one of the outputs, you can read the brochure for this conference, which includes a short study on the selected topic.

As the main organizers, we are very pleased to have the participation of donors, represented by Réka Kenesei. To all participants, speakers and our co-organizers, Civic Alliance Latvia and Open Society Foundation Prague and donors, thank you.