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The Senate designated 2027 as the Year of Information Awareness and Security, and the Prime Minister established the Centre for Combating Disinformation. At the same time, civil society organisations are strengthening their cooperation within the ‘Together Against Disinformation’ Coalition.
The threats posed by disinformation are not a new phenomenon. Civil society organisations have for years been working to combat disinformation through media literacy, fact-checking and building information resilience.
The ‘Together Against Disinformation’ Coalition was established in 2022 in response to the fragmented nature of efforts undertaken by public authorities, civil society organisations, fact-checkers, the media, the business sector and the academic community. Although there is no shortage of initiatives, the challenges remain: sustained coordination, the exchange of information, a joint response to threats, and long-term structural funding.
The Coalition will focus on four areas:
the exchange of information and knowledge on threats and methods of disinformation,
strengthening the capabilities of organisations and other stakeholders,
advocacy aimed at ensuring that the voice of civil society is heard in public debate and legislative processes,
cross-sector partnerships with government, local authorities, the media, academia and the business sector.
The lack of coordination is not solely a problem for the administration – fragmentation also exists amongst civil society organisations. That is why the Coalition began within its own community to create a sustainable network of cooperation amongst organisations dealing with disinformation, fact-checking, the media, digital rights and societal resilience.
Today, the Coalition’s scope of activities is expanding as it prepares to recruit new members and forge new partnerships. The Coalition is not intended to be merely another body associated with disinformation; its aim is to foster close cooperation between existing organisations, facilitate the exchange of information and expertise amongst them, and develop a model for a joint response to crisis situations.
At the same time, institutional solutions have also been developed recently at the state level. On 30 September, the Prime Minister established the Centre for Combating Disinformation, in whose work various ministries, agencies and public institutions, including NASK, are involved. The establishment of the Centre is part of the implementation of a long-standing call: it is essential to create a third sector and ensure better coordination of the state’s actions in this area.
Evidence and the experiences of other countries show that a model of coordinated cooperation between government institutions is not sufficient in the fight against disinformation, as the scale of the challenges associated with combating fake news is constantly growing. The Centre for Combating Disinformation is not the first such initiative in Europe – similar organisations bringing together experts are needed, as disinformation can form part of foreign influence operations, manipulative campaigns or online fraud, and is therefore becoming an increasingly serious threat. Information security also takes on particular significance during election periods and times of crisis.
The coalition emphasises that the mere creation of new structures does not solve the problem of coordination unless it is accompanied by a clear division of responsibilities, data sharing, transparency and sustained cooperation with civil society organisations, the media, the academic community and the business sector.
Poland has no shortage of institutions and organisations dealing with disinformation. What is lacking, however, is an effective mechanism that would allow them to regularly exchange information, pool their expertise and respond jointly to threats. We have decided to focus on cooperation within the third sector in order to strengthen civil society organisations’ resilience to disinformation and respond effectively to threats in the infosphere. The ‘Together Against Disinformation’ Coalition also represents a stronger voice for the sector in dialogue with state institutions and representatives of the media, academia and the business community.
– says Patryk Zakrzewski, vice-president of the Demagog Association.
A coordinated approach to cooperation with civil society is also needed – information resilience cannot be the sole responsibility of the administration. Society is not only a recipient of information and a potential target of disinformation campaigns, but also a key participant in the system for countering these threats.
The ‘Together Against Disinformation’ Coalition aims to be a partner to the public administration, not a competitor. At the same time, it intends to remain an independent voice of civil society. The Coalition comprises the Demagog Association, the Digital Poland Foundation, Pismo. Magazyn Opinii, the Climate Education Foundation, the Pravda Association, TechSoup Polska, the Watchdog Civic Network and the Zamenhof Institute. The ZFPR is a partner. Find out more at razemprzeciwdezinformacji.pl