Empowering Users
Commitment 17
In light of the European Commission's initiatives in the area of media literacy, including the new Digital Education Action Plan, Relevant Signatories commit to continue and strengthen their efforts in the area of media literacy and critical thinking, also with the aim to include vulnerable groups.
We signed up to the following measures of this commitment
Measure 17.1 Measure 17.2 Measure 17.3
In line with this commitment, did you deploy new implementation measures (e.g. changes to your terms of service, new tools, new policies, etc)?
No
If yes, list these implementation measures here
Do you plan to put further implementation measures in place in the next 6 months to substantially improve the maturity of the implementation of this commitment?
No
If yes, which further implementation measures do you plan to put in place in the next 6 months?
Measure 17.1
Relevant Signatories will design and implement or continue to maintain tools to improve media literacy and critical thinking, for instance by empowering users with context on the content visible on services or with guidance on how to evaluate online content.
QRE 17.1.1
Relevant Signatories will outline the tools they develop or maintain that are relevant to this commitment and report on their deployment in each Member State.
FIDU continued throughout 2025 to develop and maintain resources aimed at empowering citizens to evaluate and engage with online content in a critical and informed manner. Tools produced under the Media Literacy for Democracy (MLFD) project (CERV Programme) remain fully accessible and actively promoted, ensuring continuity in FIDU’s approach. In particular, the MLFD Booklet and the policy recommendations are still available online as practical resources to help citizens recognize disinformation and understand the importance of media literacy. Such tools are also used as supporting material in FIDU’s training and awareness-raising activities, including sessions targeting educators, trainees and civil society audiences, providing guidance on how to assess sources, verify information and interpret online content in context. In parallel, FIDU consistently publishes media literacy and critical thinking content through its communication channels, reinforcing key messages and practical tips over time. This communication work follows a case-study-based methodology, using concrete and timely examples to help audiences recognise common manipulation patterns and apply practical verification steps in real-life information environments. Content is also tailored to reach inclusive and diverse audiences, using accessible language and formats and, where relevant, adapting messages to different levels of digital literacy and vulnerability. This sustained, method-based engagement reflects FIDU’s ongoing commitment to strengthening resilience to disinformation and broader forms of information manipulation and foreign interference.
Measure 17.2
Relevant Signatories will develop, promote and/or support or continue to run activities to improve media literacy and critical thinking such as campaigns to raise awareness about Disinformation, as well as the TTPs that are being used by malicious actors, among the general public across the European Union, also considering the involvement of vulnerable communities.
QRE 17.2.1
Relevant Signatories will describe the activities they launch or support and the Member States they target and reach. Relevant signatories will further report on actions taken to promote the campaigns to their user base per Member States targeted.
During the reporting period, FIDU’s activities related to media literacy and the fight against FIMI have focused on 4 main areas:
- Advocacy: Among the main activities in the field:
FIDU promoted institutional and public engagement on information manipulation, information suppression, and disinformation risks affecting democratic processes. On 4 April 2025, FIDU co-organised a public event held at the Italian Chamber of Deputies to discuss with experts the European External Action Service’s (EEAS) third report on threats related to Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), featuring contributions from the EEAS. The event contributing to awareness of malicious actors’ tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) and the need for coordinated responses. In addition, on 27 October 2025, FIDU co-organised a conference at the Italian Senate focused on the situation on human rights in Hong Kong, and in particular the trial of Jimmy Lai, which also addressed the broader issue of information suppression and disinformation campaigns that pollute public debate in Europe and undermine the information ecosystem. On 10 December 2025 FIDU also co-organised a special screening of the documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin (2025) in cooperation with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, followed by a moderated discussion. The event engaged the public on how propaganda and disinformation operations work in practice.
- Training: FIDU continued to deliver and contribute, through its expert team, to several national and international trainings and workshops (both in-person and online), primarily targeted at CSOs, students, young professionals and media workers. Trainings leveraged practical exercises and case studies to strengthen critical thinking, source evaluation, verification skills, and understanding of manipulation patterns. In this framework, FIDU also contributed to university-based training, including initiatives in cooperation with the Master in Journalism and Multimedia Communication at the LUISS School of Journalism.
- Participation in cross-sectoral activities: FIDU took part in multi-stakeholder initiatives and high-profile public discussions to exchange insights on media literacy, disinformation trends and broader influence operations. This included the conference “Culture or propaganda? The Gergiev case in Caserta and Russian interference in Italy”, held at the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome on 21 July 2025. The event used the public controversy around conductor Valerij Gergiev and his performance in Caserta as a starting point to discuss the blurred line between artistic freedom and political interference, and to reflect on how culture can be leveraged as a vehicle for propaganda and geopolitical influence within European democracies. In addition, FIDU participates as an observer member in AGCOM’s (Italian Communications Authority) Media and Digital Literacy Coordination Table and remained engaged throughout 2025 in its cross-sectoral exchanges and coordination activities.
- Publications: FIDU continued to disseminate and promote its media literacy resources, including outputs developed under the Media Literacy for Democracy (MLFD) project, ensuring they remain accessible and usable by educators, trainers and the broader public, as well disseminate activities related to the report Sanctioned but Thriving: How Online Platforms Fail To Address the Widespread Presence of Entities Under EU Sanctions (December 2024) developed through the Counter Disinformation Network with case contributions from eight civil society organisations, including FIDU.
In addition, FIDU contributed to public understanding of authoritarian interference and threats to civic space through research and awareness-raising outputs, including publications on transnational repression (TNR) and tactics, such as online smear and disinformation campaigns targeting dissidents, that contribute to information suppression, distort the information environment and generate a chilling effect on participation and free expression. This work also highlights how TNR and FIMI can operate hand in hand, with cross-border repression increasingly relying on coordinated information manipulation and interference to intimidate individuals, discredit voices, and deter civic engagement.
Measure 17.3
For both of the above Measures, and in order to build on the expertise of media literacy experts in the design, implementation, and impact measurement of tools, relevant Signatories will partner or consult with media literacy experts in the EU, including for instance the Commission's Media Literacy Expert Group, ERGA's Media Literacy Action Group, EDMO, its country-specific branches, or relevant Member State universities or organisations that have relevant expertise.
QRE 17.3.1
Relevant Signatories will describe how they involved and partnered with media literacy experts for the purposes of all Measures in this Commitment.
For the above-reported activities FIDU partnered with media literacy experts, the Italian Digital Media Observatory (IDMO), the Italian Communications Authority (Agcom), as well as several CSOs with relevant expertise in media literacy and disinformation (FIDU is part of the Counter Disinformation Network, led by Alliance 4 Europe).
Crisis and Elections Response
Crisis 2025
[Note: Signatories are requested to provide information relevant to their particular response to the threats and challenges they observed on their service(s). They ensure that the information below provides an accurate and complete report of their relevant actions. As operational responses to crisis/election situations can vary from service to service, an absence of information should not be considered a priori a shortfall in the way a particular service has responded. Impact metrics are accurate to the best of signatories’ abilities to measure them].
Threats observed or anticipated
At the time of reporting, significant threats related to disinformation and manipulation of information continue to be observed in the context of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. These threats contribute to widespread information disorder, affecting both online and traditional media. The dissemination of false or misleading information through various channels, including news outlets, social media platforms, in person and online events, as well the use of diverse tactics, create confusion and distorts public debates. In some cases, the disinformation and harmful narratives related to the Russian war in Ukraine have been interconnected, with the narratives being manipulated across multiple conflicts. This results in a lack of timely, accurate, and comprehensive information for the general public, which often leads to reactive rather than proactive responses. Additionally, vulnerable groups, such as marginalized communities, are disproportionately impacted by disinformation and require tailored approaches to address their specific challenges.
Mitigations in place
Mitigation: FIDU’s work in the media literacy field and disinformation counteraction aims to mitigate these threats by empowering individuals across different sectors to critically assess both online and traditional media sources, ensuring that more informed, proactive responses are fostered in the face of evolving global challenges. Specifically, FIDU’s action, based on a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach, includes:
- Analysis of the modus operandi used by foreign actors: tactics and tools (social media, in person events, fake accounts and state-run outlets disseminated fake news), targets, and goals, as well as monitoring of the incidents/episodes.
- Raising awareness on the impact of disinformation, foreign interference and information manipulation, as well as information suppression at a multi-sector level.
- Promote activities based on cross-sector cooperation.
All the activities are addressed by always keeping in mind the need to balance the right to freedom of expression, the right to be informed, and the protection of democracy and the rule of law from disruptions to the public debate.
During the reporting period, FIDU conducted various activities, including hosting conferences in collaboration with Institutions, publishing reports and policy papers, and participating in expert roundtables. These activities aimed to disseminate knowledge, facilitate discussion, and foster collaboration among stakeholders in order to improve the Member States’ response to crisis.
Empowering Users
Outline approaches pertinent to this chapter, highlighting similarities/commonalities and differences with regular enforcement.
- Organisation of trainings and expert workshops on the spread of disinformation during the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine addressed to digital media and journalism students.
- Dissemination activities related to the report Sanctioned but Thriving: How Online Platforms Fail To Address the Widespread Presence of Entities Under EU Sanctions developed through the Counter Disinformation Network with case contributions from eight civil society organisations, including FIDU.
- Organisation of the conference Ukraine and Italy. Why does Crimea unite us? in cooperation with Crimea Platform, Zmina and IPHR, Rome, 9 July 2025, with a focus on the role of Russian disinformation operations.
- Participation in the Ukraine Recovery Conference, Rome, 10-11 July 2025.
- Participation in the press conference at the Italian Senate organized by Centro Studi Germani on Russian strategic narratives in Italian secondary school textbooks.
- Participation in the press conference organised by Bring Kids Back UA, Rome, 21 November 2025, with direct testimonies on the role of Russian propaganda in the schools of the temporary occupied territories of Ukraine.
- Publication of an op-ed on the spreading of content from Russian sanctioned outlets in Italy (E.Mongelli, Linkiesta, 11 January 2025).
Participation in the press conference Culture or propaganda? The Gergiev case in Caserta and Russian interference in Italy, held at the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome on 21 July 2025.
