ATHENA is a Horizon Europe project that contributes to Europe’s defence against foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). It aims at early detection of FIMI campaigns, and better understanding of the behavioural and societal effects of FIMI as well as the efficacy of deployed countermeasures before, during and after FIMI campaigns.
Project name: ATHENA
Funding programme: Horizon Europe Framework Programme
Call: HORIZON-CL2-2023-DEMOCRACY-01
Duration: 1 November 2023 – 31 October 2026
HIGHLIGHTS
Decoding FIMI: a complex interrelation with disinformation
FIMI is an increasingly widespread concept in the counter-disinformation community, but many questions persist about what it really means. Is FIMI a specific type of disinformation? Or is it a different concept, whether broader or narrower? In this blog post, EU DisinfoLab sheds light on the topic of FIMI to frame it in the counter-disinformation ecosystem within the ATHENA project.
ATHENA Participation at #Disinfo2024
We are excited to share a recap of the ATHENA participation at the EU DisinfoLab Annual Conference, which took place recently in Riga, Latvia! Over the course of two days, attendees gained invaluable insights into the evolving disinformation landscape.
FIMI is a promising concept for counteracting Russian “sharp power”
This blog explores the Russian Federation’s use of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) throughout the decades.
China blurs the lines between disinformation and cyberattacks in the 2024 Taiwanese elections
On 13 January, Taiwan held the world’s first general election of 2024. While 40 million people were eligible to vote in the election, only three per cent of voters were needed to sway the result. China employed multiple strategies to try to influence this thin margin to vote for the KMT.
Using false information to manipulate the masses – the evolving concept of disinformation
This blog analyses the concept of disinformation and its evolution from 1920 to 2010.
Tackling FIMI in Europe
In today’s digital age, Europe is confronting sophisticated threats of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) that seek to undermine our democratic values and disrupt societal cohesion. To counter these challenges, the EU has mobilised a suite of strategic initiatives, reflected in a diverse array of projects designed to analyse, educate, and empower.
Combatting Foreign Interference in Elections
ATHENA responds to the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy Inquiry into Defending Democracy.
Maintaining election integrity: EC’s big tech measures VLOPs and VLOSEs
Advances in technology threaten our democratic processes. How can we safeguard democracy?
Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty
The observation attributed to Thomas Jefferson is truer than ever in this year, 2024, which is witnessing more elections than any other in history. More than 41 per cent of the world’s population is entitled to vote. Even where elections are “free”, they can be manipulated in many ways, from bribery to ballot-stuffing, from cyber attacks to foreign information manipulation to interference (FIMI).
ATHENA consortium meets to combat FIMI
On 12 February 2024, the ATHENA project convened a face-to-face meeting in Brussels to address the pressing issue of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).
ATHENA kicks off a fight against FIMI
The ATHENA project launched in November 2023. This €3 million, three-year project represents a strategic response by the European Union to the escalating threat of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).
