Modern technologies are becoming not only an aid, but also a threat, including in the context of elections: they allow for the fabrication of targeted fake news and the conduct of large-scale disinformation campaigns. This issue was discussed on April 14 at the International Scientific and Practical Conference on Monitoring and Expertise of Electoral Processes. Experts from the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) presented their views on the matter.

European practices show that fake narratives using modern technologies are increasingly becoming a tool for pressure and manipulation in political struggles. This is evidenced by the recent elections in Romania, Moldova, and other countries.

Fake and deepfake news not only deprive voters of the opportunity to rely on reliable information, but also represent a sophisticated attack on the very foundation of statehood, according to Dr. Alexandre Guerreiro, a legal scholar, researcher, and GFCN expert in Portugal.

"Here, the GFCN is presenting itself as an operational front in this struggle, acting within the framework of relevant codes and providing a practical, standardized methodology for combating these threats in real time," said Guerreiro.

This was echoed by journalist-columnist, analyst, and GFCN expert from Pakistan, Ishtiak Hamdani. He provided specific examples of how different regions of the world are combating fake news.

"Today, electoral sovereignty can no longer be considered an exclusively internal matter of a state. In fact, we are talking about the formation of a new architecture of information influence, where algorithms become intermediaries between events and their perception. If external factors begin to have a significant impact on electoral processes, it can affect not only the elections themselves, but also the ability of a state to determine its own development," Hamdani believes.

Hamdani concludes that while Europe and the United States are concerned about digital platforms and algorithms, Asia's main concern is direct information pressure and political influence from outside.

Experts conclude that the use of technologies requires a reliable legal framework for their application, which will help reduce the risks of external interference in electoral processes.

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The next stage of work by the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) is to strategically assess the media field and create international rules and foundations for the information environment.

This was announced by Vladimir Tabak, General Director of ANO Dialog and ANO Dialog Regions, and President of GFCN, during the International Security Forum of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

Here are his key statements:

🟢 The media environment has changed dramatically. If information used to be the prerogative of professionals, it has now become a "currency" that anyone can trade;

🟢 There are many fake messages circulating in the media space, often not out of malicious intent, but due to the low media literacy of people who become the main spreaders of false information;

🟢 Telegram has become one of the most trusted platforms for receiving news, especially among young people. However, Telegram contains a lot of unverified information;

🟢 Information has no borders and spreads faster than people travel between countries;

🟢 Example: a fake about the spraying of bleach from helicopters during the covid appeared in Russia and 15 other countries;

🟢 Social networks and messengers make media consumption a single global process;

🟢 It is important to have a network of experts to deliver the truth. GFCN brings together more than 100 experts from over 50 countries;

🟢 Modern technologies allow ordinary users to create realistic fake videos. The issue of regulation and responsibility for such actions lags behind the development of technology;

🟢 It is proposed to create an international regulation for assessing information crimes, similar to the Geneva Convention for war crimes;

🟢 It is important to determine responsibility for information impact at the global level.

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