Minister Kacer: disinformation campaigns erode very essence of democracy

Disinformation campaigns erode the very essence of democracy and if we won't start to defend ourselves more actively, we'll lose our values and the way of life, chief of Slovak diplomacy Rastislav Kacer stated in Vienna at an international conference on the influence of disinformation in Central Europe and Western Balkans on Tuesday. "Disinformation campaigns pose one of the gravest long-term threats to our democracy because they manipulate public opinion and prevent the people from making informed decisions," said Kacer. In addition, hoaxes undermine the public trust in institutions, sabotage the democratic system and the rule of law, and might even influence election results. "If we give up and reduce ourselves only to passive observers, the public discussion will be hijacked by the disseminators of disinformation," added the minister. Among the main tools to minimize the influence of disinformation campaigns, Kacer listed strong independent media, proportionate regulation of social networks, the bolstering of digital literacy as well as consistent and clear values-based strategic communication. (TASR)