Forum on Information and Democracy
foruminfod.bsky.social
Forum on Information and Democracy
@foruminfod.bsky.social
We are providing democratic safeguards to the global communication and information spaces.

🌐 Our website: https://informationdemocracy.org

✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/informationdemocracy/sign-up-to-the-forums-news
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Last week, we published the first research synthesis of our Observatory on Information and Democracy.

Covering more than 1600 sources, it provides a unique state of the knowledge on information ecosystems.

You can find it here.

🧵

observatory.informationdemocracy.org/reports/
Reports - OID
Reports Global synthesis Global assessment report Global Assessment Reports provide a periodical global comprehensive synthesis of state-of-the-art research at the nexus of information and democracy. ...
observatory.informationdemocracy.org
A new threat for media sustainability is joining the list: the rise of AI tools to answer search engine questions is drastically reducing clicks to news sites, as Carolina Martinez Elbi reports in her latest piece for OBSERVACOM.
Google's AI reduces media traffic and worsens their sustainability - Observacom
By Carolina Martínez Elebi, associate researcher at OBSERVACOM. The implementation of tools like AI Overviews and AI Mode in Google Search—two chatbots that answer search engine users’ questions—is tr...
www.observacom.org
July 3, 2025 at 12:48 PM
🔴 Important milestone for tech accountability:

The European Commission adopts the delegated act enabling vetted researchers to access data from very large online platforms and search engines.

Article 40.8 can now be implemented! 

digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/comm....
July 2, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Forum on Information and Democracy
"How AI chatbots are delivering health lies to 'millions'" www.9news.com.au/national/ai-...
How AI chatbots are delivering health lies to 'millions'
www.9news.com.au
June 30, 2025 at 11:41 PM
WhatsApp is adding ads and turning into a full social media platform - with channels, communities and public features.

But it's still regulated like a private chat app.

Our colleague Mariana Olaizola Rosenblat explains why that could become a problem.

bhr.stern.nyu.edu/quick-take/a...
July 1, 2025 at 1:26 PM
#Australia: Yet nother example that we cannot rely on platform goodwill to compensate news publishers.

Last week, Google followed Meta’s lead by ending funding agreements with several outlets, leaving them in financial uncertainty and underscoring the urgent need for sustainable solutions.
Google ditches million-dollar deals with publishers amid Labor inaction
The search giant has told several small news outlets that it will not honour an agreement that was to expire in 2027, as it reconsiders how it pays for content.
www.afr.com
June 26, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Happening soon!

We are at the Internet Governance Forum, in Oslo, with the United Nations, to contribute in discussions for a just digital future, and deepen our engagement in strengthening trustworthy climate info.

🔵 Join us live today, at 15:30 CET:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhXR...
June 24, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Reposted by Forum on Information and Democracy
🚨 #HEAT is rising! 🌡️🌍

Today we launch HEAT, a cross-border investigation into how #ClimateDisinfo is coordinated, embedded & amplified.

Disinfo isn’t fringe. It’s systemic.

💡 Read the report🔗 www.disinfo.eu/heat-harmful...

💙 @logicallyfacts.com
#DSA #CIB #FIMI #disinformation #disinfo #EMIFund
HEAT: Harmful Environmental Agendas & Tactics - EU DisinfoLab
This report presents the final findings of the HEAT project, which investigated climate-related misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM) across Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
www.disinfo.eu
June 23, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Private messaging platforms can no longer be regulatory blind spots.

As they are inscreasingly used to spread disinformation, foreign interference & propaganda, urgent policy responses are needed.

Our Workstream is addressing this with expert-backed solutions.

🔗 Tap the link below to learn more.
Are private messaging platforms the blind spot of the fight against disinformation? - Forum Information & Democracy
On June 3, 2025, the Partnership for Information and Democracy held the second meeting of its workstream on “Strengthening Information Integrity on Private Messaging Platforms”, led by Ukraine and Lux...
informationdemocracy.org
June 24, 2025 at 8:57 AM
🌍 🇺🇳 The Forum is delighted to announce its participation in the UN Climate Meetings in Bonn, Germany, on June 21!

Forum’s ED @camillegrenier.bsky.social will take part in the COP30 Presidency’s special event, helping to bring info integrity to the heart of climate negotiations 🌿
June 20, 2025 at 12:02 PM
🌿🚨 The greatest barrier to climate action may not be a lack of scientific knowledge, but the global spread of misinformation that targets public trust and political will,

says latest assessment by the International Panel on the Information Environment.
Information Integrity about Climate Science: A Systematic Review
Synthesis Report - Information Integrity about Climate Science: A Systematic Review
www.ipie.info
June 19, 2025 at 1:24 PM
🇱🇧 Our partner Maharat Foundation just released Part 2 of its groundbreaking study on information integrity in Lebanon - the first of its kind in the country.

After mapping disinformation in the Lebanese media landscape, this new chapter focuses on media pluralism and its challenges.
Media Pluralism in Lebanon: Between Political Influence and the Promise of Reform | Maharat Foundation
Media Pluralism in Lebanon: Between Political Influence and the Promise of Reform
maharatfoundation.org
June 17, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Reposted by Forum on Information and Democracy
Le volume de contenus nocifs, y compris haineux, a augmenté sur les plateformes de Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads...) aux Etats-Unis depuis que l'entreprise y a cessé ses activités de fact-checking et assoupli sa politique de modération des contenus, selon une enquête publiée lundi.
Meta: davantage de contenus nocifs aux Etats-Unis depuis l'arrêt du fact-checking, selon une enquête
Le volume de contenus nocifs, y compris haineux, a augmenté sur les plateformes de Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads...) aux Etats-Unis depuis que l'entreprise y a cessé ses activités de fact-checkin...
www.france24.com
June 17, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Contribution opportunity for German-speaking researchers 🇩🇪

The Media Structures Network is calling for abstracts on epistemic governance and public interest-oriented media platforms, ahead of a workshop at @unimainz.bsky.social.

Deadline: 15 August

More info 👇
Workshop 2025 des Netzwerks Medienstrukturen | Medienkonvergenz
www.medienkonvergenz.ifp.uni-mainz.de
June 10, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Reposted by Forum on Information and Democracy
🧠 From budget tracking in Nigeria to fact-checking in Estonia, #civictech is proving that #AI can amplify journalism, not replace it.

Read as OGP CEO, Aidan Eyakuze, calls for bold action to ensure AI strengthens democracy and press freedom.

🔗 thechanzo.com/2025/05/26/j...
June 4, 2025 at 1:01 PM
On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Forum joins its partners in calling for urgent action to protect information integrity on climate and environmental issues.

From one ecosystem to another, we must act urgently.

Read our statement ⬇️
From one ecosystem to another, protecting information integrity and the environment - Forum Information & Democracy
On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Forum on Information and Democracy joins its partners in calling for decisive action to promote and protect information integrity on climate change […]
informationdemocracy.org
June 5, 2025 at 9:44 AM
📢 If you're passionate about defending democracy in the digital age, this opportunity might be for you!

The Forum is recruiting a Dev. & Resource Officer to continue expanding the promotion of democratic standards in the digital space around the world.

🔗 informationdemocracy.org/wp-content/u...
June 3, 2025 at 2:26 PM
💬 “The US’s aggressive new fusion of tech and politics provides a strong impetus for Europe to create an alternative social media infrastructure.”

A new paper by Prof. @susanly.bsky.social builds on recent work published by the Forum, urging the EU to create its own social media ecosystem 👇
Opinion: Why Europe needs its own social media ecosystem
UCD’s Prof Susan Leavy and colleagues make the case for an indigenous social media ecosystem in Europe to counter the dominance of US Big Tech.
www.siliconrepublic.com
June 2, 2025 at 3:11 PM
If you haven't had the time to dive into our 250-page landmark report, no problem.

You can now listen to the key takeaways on Tech Policy Press Podcast 👇
Earlier this year, the Observatory on Information and Democracy released a report called INFORMATION ECOSYSTEMS AND TROUBLED DEMOCRACY: A Global Synthesis of the State of Knowledge on News Media, AI and Data Governance. Justin Hendrix spoke to Robin Mansell and Courtney Radsch about its findings.
Assessing the Relationship Between Information Ecosystems and Democracy's Woes | TechPolicy.Press
Robin Mansell and Courtney Radsch discuss the Observatory on Information and Democracy report "Information Ecosystems and Troubled Democracy."
www.techpolicy.press
June 2, 2025 at 12:57 PM
🇦🇲 At the #YerevanDialogue, information integrity took center stage, not just as a media issue, but as a geopolitical priority.

The Forum co-hosted key discussions on digital governance and environmental disinformation, ahead of #Armenia’s presidency of COP17 on Biodiversity.
Armenia and the geopolitics of information integrity - Forum Information & Democracy
On the occasion of the second edition of the Yerevan Dialogue, the Forum on Information and Democracy and the Armenian government organised a series of discussions on information integrity. While […]
informationdemocracy.org
May 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM
🔵 Day 2 at the #YerevanDialogue in 🇦🇲 Armenia, with a spotlight on environmental disinformation.

Today, the Forum is hosting a special session of its dedicated workstream, led by the Government of Armenia.
May 27, 2025 at 10:05 AM
🔴 Live now from the #YerevanDialogue in Armenia’s capital!

Two days of diplomatic engagement tackling today’s challenges in the Caucasus and beyond.

At 16:50 (UTC+1), the Forum’s Executive Director, @camillegrenier.bsky.social, will moderate a panel on information integrity.

Follow our thread 🧵
May 26, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Share your expertise with us!

Climate disinformation extends beyond climate change, increasingly undermining global efforts to address other critical environmental issues.

We are calling for expert insights on how disinformation is undermining action on these issues.

🗓️ Deadline: 30 June
Call for Contributions - Addressing Disinformation and Attacks on Information Integrity on Environmental Issues Beyond Climate Change  - Forum Information & Democracy
Context In February 2025 the International Partnership for Information and Democracy launched a workstream on Strengthening information integrity on climate change and other environmental issues under...
informationdemocracy.org
May 21, 2025 at 12:23 PM
The Forum held the first meeting of its workstream on Strengthening Information Integrity on climate and environmental disinformation, co-led by 🇦🇲 Armenia and 🇧🇷 Brazil.

Both countries are seizing this critical window of opportunity as #COP30 and #COP17 approach.

Join us and learn more 🔗
First outcomes of the environmental disinformation workstream led by Armenia and Brazil - Forum Information & Democracy
The Forum on Information and Democracy held the first meeting of its workstream on strengthening information integrity on climate and environmental issues on 17 April 2025, under the co-presidency of ...
informationdemocracy.org
May 19, 2025 at 2:33 PM
As South Africa prepares to host the G20, local voices like SANEF and Media Monitoring Africa, with support from the Forum on Information and Democracy, are pushing for putting media freedom and information integrity on the G20 agenda.

informationdemocracy.org/2025/05/15/g...
May 15, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Reposted by Forum on Information and Democracy
🔴Our Special Edition of the Digital Rights Tracker Continues🔴

Our special edition continues with digital rights updates on the aftermath of the ceasefire, tracking #cyberattacks, #misinformation, #onlineharassment, and digital erasure.

#IndiaPakistanTensions
May 15, 2025 at 11:48 AM