Protecting Information Integrity and Countering Malign Foreign Influence

IFES, through its Regional Europe Office (REO) in Prague, seeks to build electoral institutions' holistic capacity to respond to malign foreign influence and the challenges social media and technology present to electoral integrity and democratic processes. Recognizing the challenging position of election management bodies as one of the fundamental actors in securing and protecting the integrity of elections, IFES REO established a regional Working Group for Election Management Bodies (EMBs) on Social Media, Disinformation, and Electoral Integrity (SMEID) in May 2020.  

The Working Group's main goal is to support EMBs in tackling the challenges presented by malign actors, social media misuse, and disinformation to electoral integrity and public trust. The Working Group was established to facilitate peer exchange among EMBs and serve as a sustainable platform for skill-building and developing best practices and tools for countering malign foreign influence and crisis response. The Working Group is dedicated to teasing out the issues EMBs encounter not only with regard to their role but also evolving challenges such as artificial intelligence, deepfakes, or trends in disinformation narratives. Additionally, the Working Group serves to help facilitate EMBs' relationships with social media and technology companies, identifying needs and how tech companies could assist, as well as creating frameworks for successful and transparent cooperation.  

Since the network’s creation, the Working group has met five times. Through convening and learning from the needs of this diverse group, IFES has developed innovative tools such as the Countering Disinformation and Crisis Communications Playbook for EMBs but also facilitated meetings with experts from Western Europe, such as the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). The Playbook’s tangible impact has been demonstrated through its use by election officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Lithuania, and Georgia to systematize communication and crisis response practices. 

 In 2022, IFES REO initiated a pilot program aimed to assist the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina to adapt and implement the tools and strategies laid out in the Combatting Disinformation and Crisis Communications Playbook ahead of the 2022 election. IFES REO provided in-depth, tailored consultations and conducted additional trainings with the BiH CEC secretariat in the lead up to the 2022 elections to enhance the CEC’s capacity in responding to information integrity challenges, increasing their social media presence and building resilience in advance. 

The Working Group meets annually in person in Prague, and IFES REO identifies additional candidates for country-level program tailoring on an ongoing basis – particularly ahead of critical election years such as 2024 for the region.