28.05.2020 - COVID-19 Infodemic: Push and Pull factors
28 May 2020, 10:00 am – 11:00 am CET
The event was held as a virtual meeting via Zoom, live-streamed on GLOBSEC’s social media channels.
This event was the first in a series of Ideas for Resilient Democracies (follow the hashtag #ResilientDemocracy) on the driving factors behind the rapid spread of viral false stories and conspiracies related to COVID-19.
As the corona pandemic starts to retreat and countries are starting to open their economies, false stories, hoaxes, and manipulative stories related to COVID-19 are spreading like wildfire. Viral videos, claims of dark conspiracies, and promises of miraculous treatments reach the all-time high. While some hoped that the global pandemic would increase the trust in facts and science, the opposite seems to be happening right before our eyes.
- What are the main push and pull factors driving the spread of such false theories and narratives?
- What are the vulnerable spots in our societies and how to close them?
- Is there any coordination between state and non-state actors?
- How should the EU and its member states protect their citizens from information viruses?
- What impact would the infodemic have on the new EU digital services directive, if any?
Speakers:
Naja Bentzen, Policy Analyst, European Parliament Research Service
Naďa Kovalčíková, Program Manager, Alliance for Securing Democracy, GMF, Brussels
Peter Kreko, Director, Political Capital Institute, Budapest
Moderator:
Miroslava Sawiris, Research Fellow, Democracy & Resilience Programme, GLOBSEC
You can read a short brief with the output ideas of this webinar here.
You can watch the video with the full recording below.