Informed individuals are the foundation of democratic debate and society. The accelerated spread of false or misleading information, often through deliberate disinformation campaigns by domestic or foreign actors, creates confusion and exacerbates polarisation, distorts public policy debates, and further deteriorates trust in government. In a fast-moving information landscape re-shaped by digitalisation, strengthening the integrity of information spaces and combating disinformation are thus urgent to strengthen the social fabric of open societies and reinforce democracy.

In democratic societies, characterised by freedom of speech and open debates as a way of reaching consensus at all levels of society, the search for information integrity is key to the ability of societies to hold together. Access to diverse sources of information, multiple and independent news sources, and free and open discourse are all needed to enable informed democratic debate.

This introduction provides an overview of the challenges that mis- and disinformation pose to democracies, while flagging the need for government responses to focus on promoting integrity in the information ecosystem rather than on content. It lays out a policy framework for promoting transparent, accountable, and plural sources of information; strengthening societal resilience and relying on all actors of society; and upgrading governance measures and institutional architecture to respond to the need to reinforce information integrity.

This chapter provides an overview of policies to reinforce the ecosystem that promotes information integrity. It discusses policies encouraging responsibility and transparency of online and social media platforms and the imperative of countering specific risks in the information space, including foreign information manipulation and interference, the safeguarding of information integrity in times of democratic elections, and the changes introduced by generative AI to the information space. It also provides an overview of the essential role played by plural, independent, and sustainable media markets, both on- and off-line.

This chapter presents policies and practices for a multi-stakeholder approach to information integrity. It discusses efforts to help provide the public with the skills to navigate the evolving information environment with a discerning view and critical approach and help facilitate the search for consensus through media and information literacy and the necessary evolution of the role of public communication. The chapter also explores the importance of strengthening participatory measures to inform the policy-making process in this space.

This chapter sheds light on how countries are upgrading their institutional architecture to strengthen information integrity. It analyses the role of strategic frameworks and effective intergovernmental co-ordination mechanisms within and between countries. Finally, it identifies the need to equip public officials with the skills and resources to better understand disinformation threats and to develop adapted regulatory governance that supports an enabling environment in which reliable information can thrive.