Author: Monika Hanley, former Fulbright Scholar at NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, associate at The Center for Media Literacy
Reviewer V2 (2025): Gunta Sloga, Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME)
Reviewer V1 (2023): Solvita Denisa-Liepniece, Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME)
Introduction
- With a history of confronting Russian aggression, Latvia stands at the forefront in countering Kremlin disinformation and propaganda, in both practical and ideological terms.
- Within Latvia’s borders, a wealth of leading experts, committed volunteers, and reputable NGOs actively combat disinformation, showcasing successful models of countering false narratives.
- Most disinformation circulating in Latvia originates from Kremlin-related sources and is strategically aimed at undermining NATO, the EU, and Western institutions while bolstering Russia’s credibility and influence on the global stage.
- Latvia updated its Criminal Law in mid-2024 to criminalise deepfake‐style manipulation of political content, while the public-service broadcasting regulator introduced new limits on Russian-language programming—a move now under Constitutional Court review amid wider debate over the role of Russian in broadcasting. The government also pursued multiple high-profile legal cases, including the 2025 prosecution of a pro-Kremlin activist.
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The initial project (V1 of this factsheet) was Funded by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. Further updates have been funded on EU DisinfoLab’s own resources. If you’re interested in supporting our efforts, get in touch.
The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of EU DisinfoLab. This factsheet does not represent an endorsement by EU DisinfoLab of any organisation.