Legal Instruments to Counter Threats of Disinformation Campaigns in War: A Balancing Test

Abstract

As part of international political strategy, disinformation campaigns orchestrated from abroad pose a new and concrete threat to democracies. This phenomenon can be attributed to the vulnerability of pluralist liberal systems and to the pervasiveness of new media. The European Union has implemented legal measures to address these challenges. For instance, in response to the invasion of Ukraine, it imposed sanctions on media channels linked to the Russian war propaganda ecosystem. A recent ruling by the General Court of the EU analysed the restrictions of broadcasting. The decision identified the necessary balance between fighting security threats and protecting fundamental rights.