EU DisinfoLab is an independent non-profit at the forefront of understanding and tackling disinformation. At the core of our work is our community – sharing knowledge, learning from each other, and working together to turn expertise into action, helping to uphold democratic values and support a healthier information space.
What we do
We support and connect the counter-disinformation community to help reduce the impact and harms of disinformation in Europe: supporting the development of shared approaches, making complex developments more accessible, and bringing together people working across the field.
Connecting the counter-disinformation community
At the heart of our work are the people and organisations working to better understand and counter disinformation. We bring together civil society, researchers, policymakers, journalists, and practitioners working to counter disinformation across Europe and beyond. We facilitate exchanges and strengthen connections between them, to build trust and shared visions.
Beyond convening, we contribute to greater coordination by identifying shared priorities and providing a space for collaboration, while amplifying the work and expertise of our community. Through regular knowledge sharing, events, and ongoing collaboration, we aim to help efforts across the field become more connected, focused and effective.
Understanding the information landscape
We gather knowledge and expertise on disinformation, from generative AI and its impact on the information space to foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) and platform accountability. Together with others in the field, we develop and contribute to methodologies and frameworks that help make sense of emerging sectors and technologies. Through publications, factsheets, and knowledge hubs, we turn research and analysis into practical guidance, and help identify common priorities to leverage the community’s collective strength.
Policy research and analysis
The issue of disinformation is embedded in a wide range of policy discussions. We unfold and analyse policy developments affecting the fight against disinformation and make them more accessible and relevant to practitioners on the ground. We engage with policymakers, regulators, and industry to contribute to stronger platform and perpetrator accountability and more effective, enforceable responses, while protecting democratic principles.
Advocacy
Our advocacy aims at solving the problem of disinformation for democracy. We bring concerns, evidence, and priorities of practitioners into policy debates to develop future-proof and enforceable solutions. We advocate for the transparency, resources, and sustainable support that the organisations in the field need to do their work effectively.
Strengthening the field
Since 2017, we have been a part of the counter-disinformation community that has grown in size, diversity, and expertise. Our thematic hubs (AI Disinfo Hub, Climate Clarity Hub, Conflict & Crisis Hub, and Doppelganger Hub) and our country factsheets draw on the knowledge and expertise of people across the community, contributing to building a growing repository of resources for the field. We have supported OSINT researchers by facilitating the development of guidelines for public-interest OSINT, through ObSINT. We have expanded existing impact frameworks and developed methodologies to help connect investigations with assessment of systemic risks under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
We will continue to help strengthen connections within the counter-disinformation community. By supporting the people and organisations doing this work and investing in community-building, knowledge-sharing, and long-term capacity, we contribute to a stronger, more resilient, and more sustainable field.
Be part of the community!
There are many ways to stay connected with our work and the wider counter-disinformation community – from our newsletters and webinars to our annual conference.
Follow our work (subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media), join the conversation, and look out for opportunities to share knowledge, contribute your expertise, and take part in community activities.
We are also building a new community platform, DisinfoHub, to bring together people and organisations working across the field. Sign up to stay connected with our work, discover new resources and events, hear about opportunities to get involved, and help us better understand the people and expertise that make up the field.
What we believe in
Independence
We develop and maintain our independence in action and decision. Our editorial choices and policy positions reflect what we think the community countering disinformation could focus on to have a bigger impact. We build our work with credibility and unbiased analysis.
Listening & Learning
We acknowledge that disinformation is a complex phenomenon, and we work hard, with humility, to comprehend what is happening. We have been building our expertise by listening to global and local experts from different backgrounds. We also use these skills to remain agile against the fast-moving pace of disinformation development.
Collective action
We believe that only collective action can overcome the many challenges of disinformation. We bring together different stakeholders, from civil society to governments, from the tech industry to the media ecosystem, so that we can discuss and find solutions together.
Can-Do
Disinformation is putting pressure on our democratic systems and values. But we are inspired by the courage of people speaking out against abuses. We think we can drive change and have an impact. We are not afraid of taking strong positions and exposing behaviours that endanger citizens’ integrity, peaceful coexistence and democratic values.
What we do
Our research is multifaceted: we continuously monitor disinformation activities across all social platforms to identify trends and threats. In addition to this, we use open source intelligence techniques (OSINT) to uncover disinformation networks, strategies, as well as inauthentic behaviour. Our findings are then disseminated via our partnerships with the media and leading experts in the field.
To achieve our vision, we maintain an extensive repository of knowledge on disinformation, including scientific research, up-to-date legal and policy developments on the EU and member state levels, and innovative tools to debunk and fight against disinformation. Our repository provides the disinformation community with needed tools, knowledge, and resources to encourage collaboration.
Based on our own analyses, we regularly propose policy recommendations to the EU institutions and the EU Member States, and help other initiatives ensure that their advocacy efforts are grounded in sound analyses. In this context, we want to offer our expertise to policymakers and jointly develop a multi-stakeholder response – complete with a legal framework that preserves our freedoms and offers sustainable solutions to disinformation.
We organise regular webinars, meetups, and other events to share experiences and tools, plan joint ventures, and keep abreast of critical developments in the field. We put emphasis on building partnerships and fostering collaboration between relevant initiatives not only in Europe, but around the globe too. In view of this, we gather experts and organisations to exchange best practices, cooperate, and develop new approaches to countering disinformation.
Our funding
Addressing disinformation requires sustained, independent, and long-term efforts. Supporting research, collaboration, policy engagement, and community-building across the information ecosystem depends on stable and responsible funding.
As an independent non-profit organisation, we are committed to maintaining our editorial and operational independence. Our partnerships and funding relationships must align with our mission and values, and must never compromise the integrity of our work.
We believe that strengthening the resilience of the information ecosystem is a public-interest effort that requires continued investment in civil society, research, and cross-sector collaboration. Long-term and sustainable funding is essential to ensure that organisations working on these issues can operate independently, respond effectively to emerging challenges, and build lasting expertise and capacity.