About DE-CONSPIRATOR

The world’s political scene is changing quickly, and with it, the kinds of threats and challenges. One such challenge is the intentional spread of false information and manipulation by foreign actors, known as Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI). FIMI represent the ever-evolving strategic and coordinated efforts by foreign actors to twist the truth and sow fear, confusion, and division, ultimately aiming to achieve their own political and economic goals by undermining the credibility of democratic institutions.

Two key perpetrators are mentioned most often among these foreign actors: Russia and China. Both countries use FIMI as a modern warfare tool to intentionally manipulate public conversations to promote their agenda, encouraging division and polarisation within European societies and beyond.

With 2024 marking a pivotal year for democratic processes – where nearly two billion people worldwide will participate in various elections, including the European Parliament elections in June – FIMI poses a major threat to liberal democracies that rely on the free and open flow of information.

Against this backdrop, January 2024 marks the official kick-off of a groundbreaking research project called DE-CONSPIRATOR, with the purpose of examining the sophisticated information suppression tactics employed by foreign actors, notably Russia and China, within the European Union (EU) and its partner countries (PCs).