A new threat for media sustainability is joining the list: the rise of AI tools to answer search engine questions is drastically reducing clicks to news sites, as Carolina Martinez Elbi reports in her latest piece for OBSERVACOM.

Google's AI reduces media traffic and worsens their sustainability - Observacom

By Carolina Martínez Elebi, associate researcher at OBSERVACOM. The implementation of tools like AI Overviews and AI Mode in Google Search—two chatbots that answer search engine users’ questions—is tr...

observacom.org

🔴 Important milestone for tech accountability: The European Commission adopts the delegated act enabling vetted researchers to access data from very large online platforms and search engines. Article 40.8 can now be implemented!  digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/comm....

"How AI chatbots are delivering health lies to 'millions'" www.9news.com.au/national/ai-...

How AI chatbots are delivering health lies to 'millions'

9news.com.au

WhatsApp is adding ads and turning into a full social media platform - with channels, communities and public features. But it's still regulated like a private chat app. Our colleague Mariana Olaizola Rosenblat explains why that could become a problem. bhr.stern.nyu.edu/quick-take/a...

#Australia: Yet nother example that we cannot rely on platform goodwill to compensate news publishers. Last week, Google followed Meta’s lead by ending funding agreements with several outlets, leaving them in financial uncertainty and underscoring the urgent need for sustainable solutions.

Google ditches million-dollar deals with publishers amid Labor inaction

The search giant has told several small news outlets that it will not honour an agreement that was to expire in 2027, as it reconsiders how it pays for content.

afr.com

Happening soon! We are at the Internet Governance Forum, in Oslo, with the United Nations, to contribute in discussions for a just digital future, and deepen our engagement in strengthening trustworthy climate info. 🔵 Join us live today, at 15:30 CET: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhXR...

🚨 #HEAT is rising! 🌡️🌍 Today we launch HEAT, a cross-border investigation into how #ClimateDisinfo is coordinated, embedded & amplified. Disinfo isn’t fringe. It’s systemic. 💡 Read the report🔗 www.disinfo.eu/heat-harmful... 💙 @logicallyfacts.com #DSA #CIB #FIMI #disinformation #disinfo #EMIFund

HEAT: Harmful Environmental Agendas & Tactics - EU DisinfoLab

This report presents the final findings of the HEAT project, which investigated climate-related misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM) across Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

disinfo.eu

Private messaging platforms can no longer be regulatory blind spots. As they are inscreasingly used to spread disinformation, foreign interference & propaganda, urgent policy responses are needed. Our Workstream is addressing this with expert-backed solutions. 🔗 Tap the link below to learn more.

Are private messaging platforms the blind spot of the fight against disinformation? - Forum Information & Democracy

On June 3, 2025, the Partnership for Information and Democracy held the second meeting of its workstream on “Strengthening Information Integrity on Private Messaging Platforms”, led by Ukraine and Lux...

informationdemocracy.org

🌍 🇺🇳 The Forum is delighted to announce its participation in the UN Climate Meetings in Bonn, Germany, on June 21! Forum’s ED @camillegrenier.bsky.social will take part in the COP30 Presidency’s special event, helping to bring info integrity to the heart of climate negotiations 🌿

🌿🚨 The greatest barrier to climate action may not be a lack of scientific knowledge, but the global spread of misinformation that targets public trust and political will, says latest assessment by the International Panel on the Information Environment.

Information Integrity about Climate Science: A Systematic Review

Synthesis Report - Information Integrity about Climate Science: A Systematic Review

ipie.info

🇱🇧 Our partner Maharat Foundation just released Part 2 of its groundbreaking study on information integrity in Lebanon - the first of its kind in the country. After mapping disinformation in the Lebanese media landscape, this new chapter focuses on media pluralism and its challenges.

Media Pluralism in Lebanon: Between Political Influence and the Promise of Reform | Maharat Foundation

Media Pluralism in Lebanon: Between Political Influence and the Promise of Reform

maharatfoundation.org

Le volume de contenus nocifs, y compris haineux, a augmenté sur les plateformes de Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads...) aux Etats-Unis depuis que l'entreprise y a cessé ses activités de fact-checking et assoupli sa politique de modération des contenus, selon une enquête publiée lundi.

Meta: davantage de contenus nocifs aux Etats-Unis depuis l'arrêt du fact-checking, selon une enquête

Le volume de contenus nocifs, y compris haineux, a augmenté sur les plateformes de Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads...) aux Etats-Unis depuis que l'entreprise y a cessé ses activités de fact-checkin...

france24.com

Contribution opportunity for German-speaking researchers 🇩🇪 The Media Structures Network is calling for abstracts on epistemic governance and public interest-oriented media platforms, ahead of a workshop at @unimainz.bsky.social. Deadline: 15 August More info 👇

🧠 From budget tracking in Nigeria to fact-checking in Estonia, #civictech is proving that #AI can amplify journalism, not replace it. Read as OGP CEO, Aidan Eyakuze, calls for bold action to ensure AI strengthens democracy and press freedom. 🔗 thechanzo.com/2025/05/26/j...

On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Forum joins its partners in calling for urgent action to protect information integrity on climate and environmental issues. From one ecosystem to another, we must act urgently. Read our statement ⬇️

From one ecosystem to another, protecting information integrity and the environment - Forum Information & Democracy

On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Forum on Information and Democracy joins its partners in calling for decisive action to promote and protect information integrity on climate change […]

informationdemocracy.org

📢 If you're passionate about defending democracy in the digital age, this opportunity might be for you! The Forum is recruiting a Dev. & Resource Officer to continue expanding the promotion of democratic standards in the digital space around the world. 🔗 informationdemocracy.org/wp-content/u...

💬 “The US’s aggressive new fusion of tech and politics provides a strong impetus for Europe to create an alternative social media infrastructure.” A new paper by Prof. @susanly.bsky.social builds on recent work published by the Forum, urging the EU to create its own social media ecosystem 👇

Opinion: Why Europe needs its own social media ecosystem

UCD’s Prof Susan Leavy and colleagues make the case for an indigenous social media ecosystem in Europe to counter the dominance of US Big Tech.

siliconrepublic.com

If you haven't had the time to dive into our 250-page landmark report, no problem. You can now listen to the key takeaways on Tech Policy Press Podcast 👇

Tech Policy Press@techpolicypress.bsky.social · last yr.

Earlier this year, the Observatory on Information and Democracy released a report called INFORMATION ECOSYSTEMS AND TROUBLED DEMOCRACY: A Global Synthesis of the State of Knowledge on News Media, AI and Data Governance. Justin Hendrix spoke to Robin Mansell and Courtney Radsch about its findings.

🇦🇲 At the #YerevanDialogue, information integrity took center stage, not just as a media issue, but as a geopolitical priority. The Forum co-hosted key discussions on digital governance and environmental disinformation, ahead of #Armenia’s presidency of COP17 on Biodiversity.

Armenia and the geopolitics of information integrity - Forum Information & Democracy

On the occasion of the second edition of the Yerevan Dialogue, the Forum on Information and Democracy and the Armenian government organised a series of discussions on information integrity. While […]

informationdemocracy.org

🔵 Day 2 at the #YerevanDialogue in 🇦🇲 Armenia, with a spotlight on environmental disinformation. Today, the Forum is hosting a special session of its dedicated workstream, led by the Government of Armenia.

🔴 Live now from the #YerevanDialogue in Armenia’s capital! Two days of diplomatic engagement tackling today’s challenges in the Caucasus and beyond. At 16:50 (UTC+1), the Forum’s Executive Director, @camillegrenier.bsky.social, will moderate a panel on information integrity. Follow our thread 🧵

Share your expertise with us! Climate disinformation extends beyond climate change, increasingly undermining global efforts to address other critical environmental issues. We are calling for expert insights on how disinformation is undermining action on these issues. 🗓️ Deadline: 30 June

Call for Contributions - Addressing Disinformation and Attacks on Information Integrity on Environmental Issues Beyond Climate Change  - Forum Information & Democracy

Context In February 2025 the International Partnership for Information and Democracy launched a workstream on Strengthening information integrity on climate change and other environmental issues under...

informationdemocracy.org

The Forum held the first meeting of its workstream on Strengthening Information Integrity on climate and environmental disinformation, co-led by 🇦🇲 Armenia and 🇧🇷 Brazil. Both countries are seizing this critical window of opportunity as #COP30 and #COP17 approach. Join us and learn more 🔗

First outcomes of the environmental disinformation workstream led by Armenia and Brazil - Forum Information & Democracy

The Forum on Information and Democracy held the first meeting of its workstream on strengthening information integrity on climate and environmental issues on 17 April 2025, under the co-presidency of ...

informationdemocracy.org

As South Africa prepares to host the G20, local voices like SANEF and Media Monitoring Africa, with support from the Forum on Information and Democracy, are pushing for putting media freedom and information integrity on the G20 agenda. informationdemocracy.org/2025/05/15/g...

🔴Our Special Edition of the Digital Rights Tracker Continues🔴 Our special edition continues with digital rights updates on the aftermath of the ceasefire, tracking #cyberattacks, #misinformation, #onlineharassment, and digital erasure. #IndiaPakistanTensions

The Forum on Information and Democracy has just released its 2024 Annual Report - undoubtedly the year of information integrity, but also of great challenges. 🔗 You can find more about our achievements of the year 2024 in our annual report: informationdemocracy.org/2025/05/14/a...

🔴 The Forum is live from the French Embassy to South Africa in Pretoria 🇿🇦 Our Policy Manager Katharina Zuegel is joining South African experts and diplomats to address media issues ahead of the upcoming #G20, building on the work done during Brazil's presidency. 🇧🇷

Three countries, three contexts, one challenge: keeping democracy at the heart of AI. In #Benin, #Côted’Ivoire, and #Senegal, we co-developed three reports on the impact of AI on national media ecosystems, exploring how to regulate it so that AI strengthens democratic resilience. 🇧🇯🇨🇮🇸🇳

AI and democracy in West Africa: recommendations for Benin, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal - Forum Information & Democracy

The Forum on Information and Democracy and its partners in three West African countries are publishing recommendations to ensure that Artificial Intelligence serves the public good and the integrity o...

informationdemocracy.org

🔴 Live from UNESCO's signature World Press Freedom Day event, in Brussels: Ms. Azoulay opening speech underlines the impact of AI on media and press freedom, acknowledging both its opportunities and challenges. "We must also empower professionals to adapt to the full potential of AI".

New ressource, by Mariana Olaizola Rosenblat, Ayushi Agrawal & Isaac Yap from @nyusterncbhr.bsky.social, breaks down online safety laws in 19 countries + the US. A global look at platform regulation, with clear steps to keep human rights at the center. bhr.stern.nyu.edu/publication/...