Observation period May 6-12, 2024
This week, there have been publications dedicated to the migrant crisis. A false narrative claims that migrants want to seize power. Besides recirculating false stories depicting migrants as violent, criminal, or against Western values (a well-known rhetoric used by disinformers), some false stories suggest ongoing attempts by migrants to take over power, even through violence. In Spain, in particular, false stories about migrants taking over the political sphere claim that in some cities, the number of migrants is already so large that they make up the majority and can elect mayors. In the context of the upcoming Catalan elections, false stories depict a supposed political will to Islamize the region.
In Belarusian Telegram channels, on the one hand, there were reports about Poland’s efforts to combat illegal migrants trying to break through from Belarus, injuring Polish border guards:
On the other hand, pro-government channels continue the disinformation campaign about the “atrocities” of the Polish military:
There were also quotes from Elon Musk:
Here, it is worth noting the publication by fact-checkers from FactCheck.org:
By claiming that illegal immigration benefits Democrats, entrepreneur Elon Musk has greatly exaggerated its impact on the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives and Electoral College votes.
This is inaccurate.
Of course, Belarusian propaganda channels wrote about the expulsion of migrants from Paris ahead of the Olympic Games:
It can be seen that the publication came from a Russian Telegram channel and then started circulating among pro-government ones: @Nashazemla, @belnewstoday, @belarusimir, @ATN_BTRC.
The Fascination with Chatbots Can Yield Dangerous Results
AI-powered chatbots give political advice on social media and develop strategies for disinformation campaigns. During a recent investigation, it was discovered that Snapchat’s AI chatbot provides “concerning” voting recommendations to young users in Belgium. The AI suggests voting for certain parties, calling others controversial. Read more about the Snapchat AI chatbot here.
At the same time, another investigation revealed how chatbots from major tech companies offered strategies for the EU election campaign, including spreading disinformation and raising fears about EU policies, despite user agreements prohibiting such practices: “For example: the EU wants to ban our cheese.”
CEDMO Reports on the Widespread Impact of Disinformation in Central Europe
According to the latest report from CEDMO on fact-checking (in Polish), covering the first quarter of 2024, 45% of the population in the Czech Republic was exposed to disinformation, and in Slovakia, this number was even higher, around 58%. For the first time since August 2023, residents of Slovakia reported that in March, the month of the first round of presidential elections, they encountered more false news than credible information.
In Poland, the second edition of the report Disinformation Through the Eyes of Poles / “Disinformation Through the Eyes of Poles” (in Polish), prepared by Demagog Polska, shows that up to 84% of Poles have encountered fake news, with false narratives covering all spheres of society – healthcare, climate, technology, politics, and more – potentially having serious consequences for voter behavior and election results.
