Disinformation Trends : Infosecurity.sk
Infosecurity.sk: Bi-Weekly Report on Emerging Disinformation Trends from Slovakia
Project Infosecurity. organised by Adapt Institute, which is supported by the Prague office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, continuously monitors the activities of both Slovak and foreign disinformation actors but focuses mainly on the former. The project activities are built upon daily monitoring of emerging disinformation, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories in the online information space. This approach allows the analysts to identify disinformation posts and narratives that resonated with the public the most, as well as to find out where they originated and how they spread and evolved on social media. The report takes the form of a bi-weekly summary of arising trends in the spread of malicious information content online. Based on that, Infosecurity.sk can warn the public about emerging and current trends in the field of disinformation, manipulation, and propaganda.
News
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World conflict, nuclear war and totalitarianism in the EU. Disinformers continue their attacks on the West and Ukraine
The disinformation ecosystem has returned to glorifying Russia and discrediting attacks on Ukraine. In particular, the so-called victory plan for Ukraine, which was presented by President Zelensky, has become a target. The European Union (EU) institutions also faced attacks and lies from disinformation agents.
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A gesture of solidarity with the victims of the terrorist act in 2022 has become a pretext for toxic and hateful attacks
The second anniversary of the terrorist attack in front of Bratislava's Tepláreň club on 12 October 2022 prompted not only a wave of solidarity, but also toxic and hateful posts on social media. Both politicians, as well as other actors from the disinformation environment, used the situation to sensationalize, boost fear and disillusionment about the alleged brainwashing of children, which is supposed to take place on a widespread basis in Slovak schools.
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Epilogue of the discrediting campaign against Michal Šimečka and the opposition
The dismissal of Michal Šimečka from the position of Deputy Speaker of Parliament was accompanied by a prolonged discrediting campaign and false narratives. Particular attention was paid by disinformation agents to the activities of Šimečka's father, Martin M. Šimečka, and his partner, Sona Ferienčíková, who was allegedly drawing a disproportionate amount of funding from the Fund for the Support of the Arts and enriching herself in this way.
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Bogeyman Šimečka and the "peace" celebration of the Slovak National Uprising. Disinformers continue to build pro-Russian sentiments in Slovak society
The leader of Progressive Slovakia (PS), Michal Šimečka, continued to be subjected to dubious accusations by the ruling coalition in the past weeks. The 80th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP), which falls on 29 August, has become the target of manipulation and political abuse as well, which has been dominated by the glorification of today's Russia and the justification of its actions towards Ukraine.
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Illegitimate protests, a rigged opposition and a conspiratorial media. The disinformation scene continues its attacks on democracy and the interests of the Slovak public
In the past two weeks, the disinformation ecosystem in Slovakia focused mainly on the civil and political protests that took place in Bratislava. Together with the representatives of the government coalition, they tried to delegitimize the protests in particular. The opposition was often labelled as controlled or rigged. Ad hominem attacks on Michal Šimečka and the Progressive Slovakia party complemented the latest reverberations of the Olympic Games.
