Disinformation campaigns and fake news: the challenge of the RESONANT project

The spread of fake news and disinformation by state and non-state actors is a growing threat, both to individual citizens and to civil society as a whole. The European RESONANT project, in which the University of Bologna is involved, aims to address this issue by identifying the techniques and tactics used and proposing solutions and countermeasures. Professor Pierluigi Musarò is the scientific supervisor, together with research fellow Chiara Davino, both from the Department of Sociology and Business Law.

Funded by the Horizon Europe programme, the project aims to document the tactics, techniques and procedures used by foreign state and non-state actors in the field of information manipulation.

“Information interference and manipulation by foreign actors threatens fundamental rights and freedoms at the national level, with potentially worrying consequences for the countries concerned," explains Pierluigi Musarò. “With this project, we aim to improve the understanding of this phenomenon in order to recommend strategies, tools and methods to reduce its impact on the population".

The RESONANT project, coordinated by the FORMIT Foundation, brings together a group of experts with a wide range of skills and capabilities. The consortium consists of ten partner organisations from seven countries, including law enforcement, security experts, academic and research institutes, NGOs and national authorities.

In addition to focusing on the techniques and tactics used to spread fake news and misinformation, researchers will also analyse the behavioural changes that occur in the diaspora communities affected by these actions. It will also map the knowledge and preparedness of state authorities in terms of the legal instruments that can be used to enforce the law. The project will use all this information to develop a set of technical tools, policy recommendations and practical exercises to address this threat.