European Experts Sound Alarm on Growing Information Integrity Threats

European citizens face increasing difficulty distinguishing reliable information from misleading content online, according to experts from the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) network. As information integrity becomes a top priority for organizations like the United Nations, specialized groups are working to combat the spread of mis- and disinformation across the continent.

EDMO, launched in June 2020 with EU co-funding, operates through a network of 15 hubs spanning 27 countries in the European Union and European Economic Area, plus Moldova, Ukraine, and Norway. The network brings together fact-checkers, academic researchers, media literacy experts, and media organizations to tackle online disinformation collaboratively.

Two key EDMO hubs—EDMO BELUX covering Belgium and Luxembourg, and BENEDMO covering Belgium and the Netherlands—are at the forefront of regional efforts to maintain information integrity.

“Mis- and disinformation have no borders,” explains Ferre Wouters, a Research Associate at KU Leuven’s Media, Information and Persuasion Lab. False narratives spread globally on topics ranging from climate change and health issues to financial matters like cryptocurrencies, EU politics, the Ukraine war, and artificial intelligence.

In 2025, BENEDMO research revealed alarming trends in health misinformation. “We were surprised, many doctors see patients who take medical advice from TikTok or other social networks,” Wouters notes. However, he adds that Belgium and the Netherlands have been relatively spared from the kind of election interference campaigns seen in countries like Romania.

Trisha Meyer, Principal Investigator of EDMO BELUX and Associate Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, cautions against overzealous labeling of content: “We should not be labeling something as disinformation if it’s a political opinion, to respect a wide margin of freedom of expression. It has to be verifiably false information and trending to be considered a threat.”

The experts identify three main sources of disinformation. First, political or geopolitical actors, notably from Russia, Iran, and Israel, who spread false information for strategic purposes. Second, commercial networks using disinformation as “a business model,” particularly in scams related to cryptocurrencies and deepfakes. Finally, ordinary citizens who spread false information “because it works and they want to go viral,” according to Michael Opgenhaffen, BENEDMO partner and Associate Professor at KU Leuven.

Despite the prevalence of mis- and disinformation, the experts agree it hasn’t replaced accurate information overall. Opgenhaffen cautions against exaggeration: “The majority of news is still accurate and interest-worthy news.”

Meyer points to modern information consumption habits as part of the challenge: “Are we in a state of information overload? For sure,” she says, adding that AI further complicates distinguishing reality from fiction. The actual impact depends largely on “the individual media diets of internet users.”

The experts identify several concerning trends, including news overload, news avoidance, and hyperpersonalization of content feeds, creating what Meyer calls “a societal vulnerability that can be exploited quite easily.”

Perhaps most concerning is what Opgenhaffen describes as “the slow erosion of trust” beyond individual false claims: “There is some kind of mistrust now in professional journalism, in academic and scientific news, but also in news from global health organizations. There is a growing sense that we can’t really trust anything anymore.”

Wouters adds that vulnerable groups are disproportionately affected by misinformation—an issue that often receives insufficient attention.

Both EDMO hubs have launched successful initiatives to combat these problems. BENEDMO’s Fact-Check Marathon ahead of the 2024 Belgian and European elections published over 50 fact-checks, successfully reaching young audiences aged 18-30. Meanwhile, EDMO BELUX partnered with media outlets RTBF and RTL to reach different demographic groups, with RTBF targeting young people on social media and RTL focusing on viewers aged 65 and older.

Cross-border cooperation remains essential because mis- and disinformation spread “without a digital border,” as Wouters puts it. Opgenhaffen notes that not only do the same stories travel, but topics get “localized” for different regions.

The experts recommend consulting multiple information sources, including traditional media, rather than relying solely on social media. They emphasize that investing in journalism through paid subscriptions is more crucial than ever to ensure access to trustworthy, high-quality news in an era of rampant misinformation.