16 January 2025, 14:30 – 15:30 CET
Romania made the headlines at the end of 2024 when journalists revealed multiple attempts from Russia to influence the electoral campaign. In this webinar, our guests describe some of the organised disinformation campaigns that targeted the Romanian social media space ahead of the presidential elections in November 2024, using influencers to manipulate algorithms in favour of specific candidates.
We also explore how policy tools like the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Code of Practice can address such systemic risks and discuss actionable steps to effectively assess and respond to emerging risks related to elections.
Watch the replay of the session here:
Speakers:
Victor Ilie, Freelance investigative reporter
Victor Ilie is a Romanian investigative journalist renowned for his undercover work and in-depth reporting on corruption and organized crime. His investigations have delved into the activities of pickpocket networks in Copenhagen and Amsterdam, drug traffickers in Bucharest, and high-ranking officials within the Romanian Orthodox Church. Ilie has contributed to significant international projects, including the Panama Papers, uncovering hidden Romanian assets, and has co-authored a series on the Tate brothers and their connections to Romanian organized crime.
Madalina Botan, Associate Professor at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration SNSPA, Senior Researcher at BROD
Currently serving as an Associate Professor at SNSPA, Madalina Botan teaches various courses dedicated to advancing methodologies to combat online disinformation. She also contributes as a Senior Researcher at the Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media (BROD) and as an expert in monitoring the implementation of the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation.
Moderator:
Alexandre Alaphilippe, EU DisinfoLab
Alexandre Alaphilippe is the Executive Director and co-founder of the EU DisinfoLab. Since 2017, he has coordinated work on some of the organisation’s largest investigations into Information Operations linked to Russia, India and China. In 2022, he led the exposure of Doppelganger, which has been labeled as one of the largest information operation from Russia in the past years. He is a member of a number of working groups in Brussels and Washington DC linked to platform regulation, transatlantic relations, and hybrid threats, where he emphasises the role of civil society in maintaining democratic values. He has published papers for the Brookings Institution and his work has been featured on CNN, BBC, Le Monde and Politico.
The opinions expressed are those of the speakers/authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of EU DisinfoLab. This webinar does not represent an endorsement by EU DisinfoLab of any organisation.
