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,…
Humans will soon be a minority on the internet. What does it mean for our democracy? By Chris Kremidas-Courtney, Senior Advisor, Defend Democracy According to the just-released 2024 Imperva Bad Bot Report, automated bots were found to be responsible for 49.6% of all internet traffic. Over half of these were classified as “bad bots.” In…
In her bid for a second mandate as President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen vows to ‘defend democracy from those who seek to destroy it’. This is music to Defend Democracy‘s ears. Assuming Von der Leyen is not making an empty election promise, we have some concrete suggestions for how her next…
The age of artificial intelligence (AI) is not just approaching, it’s already upon us. It will transform our lives and challenge our values, laws, and social norms. We need a new social contract for the age of AI. Chris Kremidas-Courtney, Senior Advisor, Defend Democracy Joe Litobarski, PhD Researcher in the History of Technology & Democracy,…
The EU’s AI Act could be the start of a new era of human-centred technology development or wind up as a cynical watered-down document that forfeits European values in an ill-advised attempt to gain a competitive edge. The choice between these two futures is being made right now as EU member states negotiate the final…
“As a Ukrainian person looking at everything that’s been happening in the world lately, here’s what I really, REALLY need people living in liberal democracies to understand as soon as possible. This isn’t a pleasant conversation. You can’t afford to take democracy for granted. It may feel like your countries’ democratic institutions have been there…
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…
Foreign interference in democratic processes is part of a much larger toolbox used by authoritarian state actors, whether you call that toolbox political warfare, active measures or hybrid threats. Therefore, rather than taking a narrow view of foreign interference limited to elections, disinformation, political advertising, and funding of political parties, Defend Democracy urges the European…
Given the alarming implications for democracy and security of the take-over of Twitter by U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, Defend Democracy has sent an urgent letter to the Presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament. The letter, sent to the European institutions on Sunday 30 October 2022, has been signed by…
