About the Campaign

Disinformation, propaganda, and “Fake News” have always existed. But why should we worry about that at all?

What makes it different today is its rapid dissemination and global reach. The spread of false information is being deliberately weaponised by the enemies of freedom. It’s being used to degrade public trust in democratic and state institutions, the media and to intensify social division, resentment and fear.

The campaign FreedomFightsFake empowers citizens around the globe to think critically and “pre-bunk” disinformation!

How can we detect which claims are (deliberately) false?
In what ways can we counter the global phenomenon of disinformation?
What is the state of media freedom around the world and how can we strengthen it?

Join us as we search for answers to these questions among others and let’s work together against disinformation!

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The Covid Conspiracy.

The spread of an infodemic – Europe needs sharper tools

Written by Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit Published on .

Fake news have posed a grave threat to societies, the economy and politics long before the Coronavirus. As a result mistrust has spread. Today, people distrust not only politicians, but doctors too. The only solution is increased international cooperation.

Disinformation has been a major issue affecting politics, the economy and societies for the past years – consider the amount of fake news spread by the current US president – and began prior to the Corona crisis. However, since Covid-19 dominates world events, the spread of disinformation has increased exponentially. So much so that the World Health Organization now speaks of an “Infodemic”. A recent study by the polling institute Kantar, commissioned by the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation for Freedom, confirms the hypothesis. Over half of all Germans are concerned about the deliberate spread of false information.

Internationally, this number grows to 74 percent. The conspiracy theories that have taken hold are as sensational as they are regionally different: the belief that the virus is a Chinese bioweapon, that Bill Gates is more powerful than governments or that 5G network expansion is to blame for the spread of the virus.

Trust in Doctors and Politicians is Decreasing

Particularly alarming is the internationally decreasing trust in not only politicians, but doctors too. 70 percent of Germans believe that false information regarding the virus is damaging trust in both fields. The consequences of mis- and disinformation can be startling: during the early months of the pandemic, multiple people died because they drank disinfectant, believing it to cure the Covid-19.

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