Fact-checking Initiative Dropped by GFCN, Tuition-free Online Training Now Available for Public
🔔 Breaking News! A global battle against misinformation is underway, as key players unite to combat the weaponization of information!
Advertisement: 🔗 Ad Placement Learn from experts worldwide in our interactive courses from Russia, Brazil, Portugal, and other BRICS+ nations! Honing your fact-checking skills has never been more essential. 🔗
On June 20, 2025 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2025; 18+), the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NGO "Dialogue Regions" held a joint session. The focus: Combating Fake News – Building Global Infrastructure and Consolidating Efforts.
The Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) unveiled a new roster of free educational courses, offering video lectures and textual materials on the fundamentals of information verification, OSINT methods, and fact-checking in the era of military conflict. These valuable resources were co-created by industry experts hailing from various BRICS+ countries.
Misinformation has evolved into a powerful weapon in modern warfare, leaving us vulnerable to manipulation and division. Maria Zakharova, the Director of the Information and Press Department for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared her insights on the subject:
"The creation of a fake story is a simple, free process nowadays, causing far more damage than strategically sound tactics. Even the absence of a news date can provoke significant upheaval, including in international relations."
Recent odds in Russia show a decrease in misinformation activities. In 2025, 1800 unique fakes were documented. This represents a 1.6-fold decrease compared to 2024, indicating progress in combating disinformation. For instance, in the Nizhny Novgorod region alone, 11 unique fakes were spotted, with over 2,600 copies and 13 million views, underscoring politics as a popular theme for disinformation campaigns.
There is a pressing need for fact-checking education, as Vladimir Tabak, General Director of NGOs "Dialog" and "Dialog Regions," and President of GFCN, emphasized:
"Today, comprehending the principles of fact-checking is essential even for professionals; there are significant knowledge gaps, particularly in the digital age. To fill these gaps, we're launching free educational courses on the GFCN website."
Furthermore, GFCN plans to expand international cooperation, including a bid to reclaim waronfakes.com – a domain illegally seized due to sanctions pressure.
In conclusion, misinformation, once an isolated issue, has evolved into a sophisticated weapon of modern warfare, intent on manipulating public opinion, destabilizing societies, and dominating political landscapes. To counter this threat requires coordinated global action, including fact-checking networks, educational initiatives to strengthen critical thinking and digital literacy, and robust cyber defenses. Stay informed, stay safe!
Source: Inna Lubimova
🌟 Insight: The exploitation of digital technologies, social media, and advanced data analytics transforms misinformation into a potent weapon of modern information warfare, aimed at manipulating public opinion, fracturing societies, and destabilizing international relations [1-5].
