Since 2020, Russia has faced a steady rise in unreliable information circulating across media and social channels. At a forum organized by Dialogue Zones ANO, the organization’s director, Vladimir Tabak, outlined how misinformation has grown in scale and influence. Forum participants examined how counterfeit content shapes political discussions and economic perceptions within the country.
Tabak highlighted that between January and October 2023, more than 3.3 thousand unique falsehoods were identified, marking a 25% increase from the previous year. He observed that counterfeit narratives are becoming more localized, especially in border regions where local news agendas intersect with federal messaging, creating a blended information landscape that can mislead local audiences.
To combat this trend, the organization is pursuing a fact-checking marketplace and launched an information service called Noodles Media. The audience for this platform has already tripled, underscoring a growing demand for reliable verification tools. The mission remains to create and scale new verification channels, because fake stories do more than misinform; they carry social and political risks that ripple through communities and institutions.
On the stage, Tatyana Matveeva, who heads the Presidential Directorate for the Development of Information and Communication Technologies and the nation’s digital infrastructure, compared current strategies in China and the European Union for addressing deepfakes. The takeaway was clear: deepfake technology will continue to evolve, and ongoing education in critical thinking and media hygiene is essential to reduce manipulation and fraud. The discussion emphasized proactive verification as a daily habit for consumers and institutions alike.
During the forum, Igor Barinov, head of the Federal Office for National Affairs, described a 24/7 operations center designed to monitor information threats. The center relies on a national monitoring system to detect potential risks in real time, enabling rapid responses to emerging misinformation and disinformation campaigns.
Vladislav Onishchenko, leading the ANO Digital Economy working group, explained how unreliable information can impact economic outcomes. Counterfeiting is viewed as a tactic in competitive markets, capable of influencing corporate profits and capital flows. Strengthening media literacy is presented as a practical safeguard against economic disturbances fueled by fake news, helping individuals interpret reports more accurately and make informed decisions about brands and markets.
Sergei Lushch, leader of the Belarusian public organization Union of Movement, warned that without deliberate management of the information agenda, others will set the narrative. He called for a broader cultural shift toward responsible digital information consumption that combines rigorous verification with critical engagement. The discussion underscored that credible information ecosystems require both robust fact-checking and a shared commitment to digital literacy across communities and institutions.