Foreign Influence and Misinformation Emerge as Global Security Threats

Foreign Information Manipulation and Disinformation Now Classified as Major Global Threat

Multiple high-profile global risk assessments have converged on an alarming conclusion: foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), alongside disinformation and misinformation, now represent a systemic threat to democracies worldwide. These phenomena have evolved beyond simple “fake news” to become structural risks that undermine economic growth, social welfare, and democratic institutions.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026 ranks misinformation and disinformation as the second most serious global risk in the short term, dropping slightly from first place in its 2025 assessment. The report warns that these information threats deepen societal divisions, corrode public discourse, and weaken crisis response capabilities.

“These developments heighten the risks of increased digital distrust and dilute ambitious socio-environmental decision-making amid increasingly nationalistic narratives,” the WEF report states.

Similarly, the UN Global Risk Report characterizes information disorder as a “risk multiplier” that exacerbates other global threats including armed conflict, pandemics, and climate change by undermining the shared evidence base necessary for collective action.

The European External Action Service (EEAS) revealed in its third threat report that FIMI targeted 90 different countries in 2024. While Ukraine remains the primary target, campaigns have also focused on France, Germany, Moldova, sub-Saharan Africa, and numerous other regions, demonstrating the global nature of the threat.

Economic analysts are increasingly concerned about the financial implications of information manipulation. A recent report by the Forum on Information & Democracy titled “The Economic Imperative of Investing in Public Interest Media” frames accurate information as crucial economic infrastructure, similar to roads or power grids.

“When this informational infrastructure is contaminated by disinformation, markets begin to malfunction,” the report explains. Misleading narratives about inflation, taxation, public debt, or monetary policy can destabilize economic expectations, encourage speculation, and undermine confidence in economic governance.

In financial markets, targeted disinformation about specific companies, technologies, or entire sectors can distort asset prices and discourage innovation, particularly in technical fields where public understanding relies heavily on information intermediaries.

The spread of populist economic disinformation promising unsustainable policies or vilifying necessary reforms can lead to abrupt policy reversals and institutional paralysis, further hampering growth and productivity.

Beyond economic concerns, FIMI and disinformation represent serious threats to democracy, peace, and human rights. The WEF risk assessment notes that as societal polarization increases alongside misinformation, “reactions by some governments are pointing towards more authoritarian rule” as the rule of law deteriorates.

A submission to the UN Human Rights Council documents how FIMI campaigns increasingly target marginalized communities, human rights defenders, and independent media amid shrinking civic space and declining institutional trust. In fragile contexts, manipulative narratives can obstruct peace negotiations, attempt to justify atrocities, and hinder humanitarian access by portraying aid workers or peacekeepers as hostile actors.

Climate action and sustainable development also face significant challenges from disinformation. A UN document on Information Integrity and the Sustainable Development Goals describes organized climate disinformation campaigns that cast doubt on scientific consensus, exaggerate economic costs of environmental policies, or promote false solutions, weakening public support for necessary climate action.

In response to these multifaceted threats, policy initiatives are emerging to safeguard information integrity. The European Democracy Shield, developed jointly by the European Commission and the European External Action Service, aims to strengthen information space integrity, particularly around elections and democratic processes.

The initiative includes countering FIMI, empowering resilient democracies globally through international partnerships, and providing structural support for independent journalism, fact-checking, and civic education to enhance democratic resilience.

Experts increasingly emphasize that robust public-interest media represent a critical safeguard for both economic and democratic stability. Independent, fact-based journalism improves market functioning, enhances accountability, and supports inclusive growth by ensuring citizens and policymakers share a common evidence base.

By treating information integrity as a pillar of democratic security, these initiatives recognize that the most effective response lies not only in countermeasures against malicious content but in proactive investment in trustworthy information ecosystems on which prosperity and democratic legitimacy depend.