Defend Democracy celebrates International Democracy Day by launching a new initiative: a tech watchdog called WebWatch. WebWatch‘s first project is about digital and information integrity around the Netherlands’ general elections of 29 October 2025. Will there be improper influence on public debate in the weeks before, during and after the election? Will we see online…
Today, 23 April 2025, the European Commission fined Meta and Apple for breaching EU law. After months of investigation and fruitless dialogue, the tech firms now have 60 days to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Defend Democracy comments: “It is great that the European Union is leading the governance of digital technologies and…
Today, Defend Democracy co-organised the first in a series of ‘HandsOFF Our Democracy‘ protests. Our founder and executive director gave the following speech. A few months before I launched Defend Democracy*, just 50 meters from here we organised a peaceful protest in solidarity with the American ‘March for Truth’. That was in June 2017. We…
All around the globe, democracy is under threat and authoritarianism on the rise. The Trump/Musk regime openly states that the terms for global trade and exchange shall be dictated by the United States. They are aiming a big bazooka at the European standards of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights. In other words:…
On the eve of Defend Democracy’s fifth anniversary*, we are thrilled to welcome new members to our Board and to our Advisory Board and to join the Steering Group of Netherlands’ Democracy Coalition. Alice Stollmeyer, our Founder and Executive Director, said: “Five years after being founded, our work has lost none of its relevance. If…
Defend Democracy is excited to welcome former Member of European Parliament Sophie In ‘t Veld to its Advisory Board. In ‘t Veld is a leading voice on democracy with 30 years experience in European politics. Sophie In ‘t Veld: “I am very pleased and honoured to join Defend Democracy, a young and visionary organisation. We…
How the next European Commission can improve its defence of democracy Given the results of the European elections, the EU should urgently improve its defence of democracy. Today, 16* civil society organisations sent EU Commission President Von der Leyen the following letter: Dear President Von der Leyen, In your bid for a second mandate as…
9 May 2024 (Europe Day), Brussels and The Hague Coalition for Democratic Resilience Defend Democracy today launches the Coalition for Democratic Resilience, strengthening our response to the growing hybrid and technological threats to democracy. The new Coalition will start work on 29 May 2024 at an international conference under the auspices of Belgium’s EU Presidency,…
Defend Democracy celebrates double praise for its groundbreaking work on a Zeitenwende for democracy. Alice Stollmeyer selected for U.S. government’s International Visitor Leadership Program. Defend Democracy’s founder and executive director, Alice Stollmeyer, has been selected to take part in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the U.S. State Department’s premier professional exchange program. Established in…
As a digital activist she learned to expose Russian disinformation.Now she launches a new project to defend democracy. As a leading EU influencer who works 24/7 at the frontline of geopolitics and digital advocacy, in 2014 Alice Stollmeyer witnessed first-hand the spread of trolls and bots. She didn’t need research to find them: they found…
