FIDU - Federazione Italiana Diritti Umani

Report March 2026

Submitted
FIDU (Italian Federation for Human Rights) is an organization dedicated to safeguarding human rights, upholding the rule of law, and supporting victims of human rights abuses. FIDU’s work primarily focuses on advocacy, awareness campaigns, fact-finding missions, monitoring elections and trials, and reporting abuses. To achieve its mission, FIDU draws upon its vast international network, which includes civil society organizations (CSOs), universities, media professionals, lawyers, and experts. These collaborations aim to strengthen traditional mechanisms for human rights protection and introduce innovative tools to combat impunity and defend victims of abuses. Recognizing the growing threats posed by disinformation, information suppression and foreign interference to human rights and the rule of law, FIDU actively engages in efforts to counter these phenomena. FIDU’s work in this field focuses on raising awareness about the negative impact of disinformation and foreign interference on society, as well as monitoring and analyzing the narratives, methodologies, and targets used in disinformation and influence campaigns.

During the reporting period and in relation to the Code’s commitments, FIDU ensured continuity and consolidation of its media literacy and counter-disinformation approach. Resources developed under the European Commission’s CERV Programme projects remain freely accessible online and continue to be promoted and used as practical guidance for citizens, trainees and educators. 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 and is 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.

In addition to maintaining and disseminating these tools, FIDU carried out a broad set of activities on disinformation and foreign interference, including institutional awareness-raising initiatives, trainings and workshops (in person and online) primarily targeting students, young professionals and media workers, and structured cooperation with stakeholders, including universities such as the Master in Journalism and Multimedia Communication at the LUISS School of Journalism. FIDU also contributed to cross-sectoral exchanges to advance best practices and recommendations, including participation as an observer member in AGCOM’s Media and Digital Literacy Coordination Table. Specifically, during the reporting period, FIDU’s activities related to media literacy and the fight against disinformation focused on four main areas: advocacy, training, participation in cross-sectoral activities, and publications.

Regarding publications, FIDU continued to disseminate media literacy resources and produced additional analytical and awareness-raising outputs addressing authoritarian interference and threats to civic space, including work on transnational repression (TNR) and related tactics—such as online smear and disinformation campaigns targeting dissidents—that contribute to information suppression, distort information environments and generate a chilling effect on participation and free expression, highlighting how TNR and FIMI can operate hand in hand.

Furthermore, FIDU’s work on disinformation includes constant monitoring and analysis of disinformation in the context of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In collaboration with Ukrainian partners, FIDU works to raise awareness of the realities of the war while countering pro-Kremlin narratives. This includes continuous monitoring of how these narratives circulate through both traditional and online media, identifying recurrent themes and targets, and analysing the methods and channels used in influence operations affecting public debate in Europe.

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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.