Ninon Bouteloup at the Rapid Response European Summit for Information Integrity and Countering Disinformation in Bucharest

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On 27 May, IDM Research Associate Ninon Bouteloup attended the “Rapid Response European Summit for information Integrity and Countering Disinformation: From Early Signals to Rapid Response”, organised by România Imună under the High Patronage of the President of Romania. 

România Imună’s co-founders presented the platform’s capacity, through the use of digital technologies, to detect false, misleading, or coordinated content up to 48 hours before it becomes viral, allowing time for early countermeasures. 

Romania was not the only country represented, as participants also shared French, British, Moldovan, Ukrainian, and American perspectives. 

Key takeaways from the event: 

  • Strong determination at the societal level is crucial for an all-of-society approach to combating FIMI. To achieve this, societal vulnerabilities must first be understood, and there must be broad agreement on the democratic values we collectively seek to defend. This cohesion is essential. 
  • Focusing solely on the content of disinformation is no longer effective. We must understand who the threat actors are, what motivates them, and, most importantly, how they operate. 
  • We can no longer afford to remain on the defensive; we must also take proactive measures. Imposing costs on threat actors is necessary to strengthen deterrence. 
  • Building trust within society is essential. Transparency plays a key role in ensuring that efforts to counter disinformation are not perceived as attacks on freedom of speech. At the same time, we must be clear that the objective is to protect our informational ecosystem and, ultimately, our collective security.