On November 27, 2024, the conference “Disinformation in Elections: Challenges and Consequences for Democratic Nations” was held at “Dinevi Residence” in Sofia. The event was organized by the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, with support from the Taipei Representative Office in Greece and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conference brought together experts from various countries, representatives of diplomatic missions, NGOs, and young leaders to discuss the escalating problem of disinformation—particularly in the context of elections—and the potential ways to counter this threat to democracy.
At the opening of the forum, Dr. Solomon Passy emphasized that disinformation has become one of the most dangerous weapons of our time—cheap, easily spread, and with devastating consequences for public trust. According to him, authoritarian regimes use fake news as a tool to influence and manipulate democratic societies. Taiwan was highlighted as a positive example in the fight against this phenomenon, with a comprehensive national approach that combines education, legislation, and technology. Taiwanese representatives shared their country’s experience, including the introduction of media literacy in schools as early as 2002, as well as the creation of modern mechanisms for combating disinformation through artificial intelligence and special laws such as the Anti-Fraud Act and the Digital Signature Act.
From the Bulgarian side, Asya Tsvetanova from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Bulgaria is in the process of implementing a memorandum with the U.S. State Department to counter foreign information manipulation.
The conference opened with the panel “Youth Talk: Disinformation,” which gave young leaders and experts the opportunity to present their perspectives on the issue. The panel was moderated by Yuliyan Lazarov, a member of the Youth Euro-Atlantic Society. Alexander Petkov from the Youth Organization for Global Security emphasized the serious threat social media poses to young people. According to him, podcasts, TikTok, and other platforms are often primary sources of information for youth, but the lack of critical thinking and skills to identify fake news makes them especially vulnerable to manipulation.
Dafina Kandova, editor at Factcheck.bg, added that according to research, Bulgarians are among the Europeans with the highest trust in social media as a source of information, yet at the same time have some of the lowest levels of content verification skills. This creates a favorable environment for the spread of fake news, especially during election periods when the stakes for the democratic process are high. She emphasized that fact-checking platforms in Bulgaria are few in number and insufficiently funded, which hinders the systemic fight against disinformation.
The role of technology companies in content regulation was also discussed during the conference. Some experts called for stricter accountability mechanisms for social media platforms, especially when it comes to the spread of political content. The issue of so-called deepfake technologies was also addressed—technologies that allow the creation of fake videos and audio recordings that are increasingly difficult to detect. Participants agreed on the idea that technology can also serve democracy, provided it is used to support transparency, factual accuracy, and access to verified information.
The conference “Disinformation in Elections: Challenges and Consequences for Democratic Nations” made it clear that the fight against manipulation in the information space is not merely a technological or legal issue, but a cause that requires public maturity, international cooperation, and engagement at all levels—from schools and media to institutions and civil society.
