We are proud to support POLITICO’s expanded coverage of artificial intelligence (AI) and elections this year through this dedicated series. As a global foundation working to safeguard democracy from digital threats — from illegal data collection to algorithmic polarization — we know the role of AI throughout 2024’s global marathon of elections will shape public … Read more
Czech authorities in March sanctioned the Prague-based Voice of Europe website over claims that European politicians had engaged with the outlet, using their influence to discourage support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Two of the channel’s executives — including Viktor Medvedchuk, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin — were hit with sanctions. … Read more
The pledge comes amid concerns over foreign meddling through disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks. Videos, photos and audio generated by widely accessible artificial intelligence tools to impersonate public figures, including politicians, have started spreading in Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States to manipulate voters. Parties in France and Poland have also used the technology … Read more
The AfD is just one of several parties in Europe with pro-Russian views. Others include Hungary’s Fidesz, France’s National Rally, Italy’s Lega and Slovakia’s Smer. In the run-up to the EU-wide election in June, Russia is ramping up its attempts to sway EU opinion and, where possible, infiltrate the bloc’s institutions. A Serbian national linked … Read more
This debate should take place at the next plenary session, on April 10 in Brussels. “If sitting MEPs or candidates in the upcoming European elections have taken money from or been corrupted by the Russian Government or their proxies, they must be exposed,” Hayer wrote in the letter. Dutch Green EU lawmaker Bas Eickhout also … Read more
Voice of Europe’s YouTube page throws up a parade of EU lawmakers, many of them belonging to far-right, Euroskeptic parties, who line up to bash the Green Deal, predict the Union’s imminent collapse, or attack Ukraine. There is no suggestion that those appearing on the network accepted cash. The website has its roots in the … Read more
A senior U.S. diplomat responsible for countering disinformation says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should be more open to disclosing information about the state of the war in Ukraine. The advice comes as fighting intensifies amid Russian gains in key areas and waning international focus on the conflict. James Rubin leads the U.S. State Department’s Global … Read more
In the wake of a devastating Islamist terror attack in Moscow, the dark arts of spreading disinformation are again in focus as Russia’s President Vladmir Putin pins blame for the assault on Ukraine. As a widening array of countries and malign actors spread fake news and analysis, real life consequences are all too clear. How can … Read more
Some large social media, including Facebook, have been singled out for lacking enough content moderation in less-spoken European languages like Slovak. X, which is already under formal investigation, has slashed its content moderation teams. Under the DSA, major online companies have to meet wide-ranging requirements to crack down on illegal and harmful content, including with … Read more
The Electoral Commission, Britain’s elections watchdog, announced last year that it had been hit by a complex cyberattack in which its systems were accessed by then-unnamed “hostile actors.” According to a release by Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Monday, the country’s security services found that the commission’s systems were “highly likely compromised by a China state-affiliated … Read more
