About CEDMO
The Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO), as an independent non-partisan multidisciplinary hub, aims to identify, research and prioritise the most critical sources and causes of information disorders in Central Europe (mainly the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland). This international consortium was created to propose a set of short and longer-term actions, as well as recommendations to help civil society, public institutions and the private sector respond to the declining trust in key institutions and help society to resist the effect of increasing exposure to mis- and disinformation.
By interacting and coordinating with European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) and other regional EDMO hubs in EU, CEDMO will contribute to curbing threats posed by information disorders, including disenchantment with the democratic processes, and discord in civil society in Europe, and to building community and nation-wide resilience while protecting information ecosystems.
About CEDMO
The Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO), as an independent non-partisan multidisciplinary hub, aims to identify, research and prioritise the most critical sources and causes of information disorders in Central Europe (mainly the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland). This international consortium was created to propose a set of short and longer-term actions, as well as recommendations to help civil society, public institutions and the private sector respond to the declining trust in key institutions and help society to resist the effect of increasing exposure to mis- and disinformation.
Our Partners
About CEDMO
The Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO), as an independent non-partisan multidisciplinary hub, aims to identify, research and prioritise the most critical sources and causes of information disorders in Central Europe (mainly the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland). This international consortium was created to propose a set of short and longer-term actions, as well as recommendations to help civil society, public institutions and the private sector respond to the declining trust in key institutions and help society to resist the effect of increasing exposure to mis- and disinformation.
Our Partners
“Putin Orders Destruction of All Covid-19 Vaccines in Russia,” reads the headline of an article shared on Facebook.
“URGENT — Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel Admits Company Produced 100,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses In 2019 Before The Pandemic Started,” says James Cintolo, a Boston-based nurse who has previously spread vaccine misinformation, in a February 7, 2023 tweet.
“As an experienced emergency physician, I want to remind the public that athletes being incapacitated or dropping dead was not a ‘thing’ prior to 2020,” said Simone Gold, founder of America’s Frontline Doctors, a group that has previously promoted Covid-19 misinformation, in a January 3, 2023 tweet.
“This is why solar doesn’t WORK IN CANADA,” says text written in what appears to be a layer of snow covering a solar panel in a photo posted February 27, 2024 on Facebook.
“Stop buying all aquatic and processed products from Europe,” read Chinese text overlaid on a TikTok video uploaded on December 12, 2023.
“We will never impose unnecessary and heavy-handed measures on you, the British people. We will still meet our international commitments and hit Net Zero by 2050,” Sunak said in a tweet (archive) on September 20, 2023, marking a major climate announcement.
“RFK Jr. is correct about Lyme disease being created as a bioweapon in a lab on Plum Island, just off Connecticut’s coast,” says a January 29, 2025 X post from an account called “Shadow of Ezra,” which AFP previously fact-checked.
“In case you didn’t know, fluoride has been directly linked to many different neurological issues so the fact that the Trump administration is going to remove fluoride from our water supply is a massive deal,” says the speaker in a November 5, 2024 Instagram video.
“The German government admits there was no pandemic,” read a simplified Chinese post on Weibo shared on April 10, 2024.
Right-wing influencers amplified a fabricated statement attributed to the Islamic State group in an effort to link New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to the extremist organization after his victory in the US financial capital’s highly anticipated election. Independent experts and terrorism-monitoring organizations told AFP the fake had not appeared on official IS channels and did not resemble the group’s authentic communications.
Whenever you come across a claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has purchased a new luxury property or that his wife Olena Zelenska has gone on an extravagant shopping spree, it’s worth pausing and taking a closer look. Many such “shocking revelations” that have circulated in the past have turned out to be baseless.
Still, these stories keep resurfacing, following a familiar pattern: an obscure journalist or a “whistleblower” posts allegations about a suspicious purchase, which are then amplified by networks of local websites or influencers sympathetic to Russia. From there, the story spreads further through smaller channels and social media groups.
Such sources seek to undermine the legitimacy of Western support for Ukraine’s defense and to erode trust in Ukraine’s leadership. Similar stories may resurface in the future, especially ahead of significant decisions and votes in the European Union or the United States concerning financial, humanitarian, and military aid to Ukraine.
Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on oil and gas facilities in Russia, with one strike hitting the major Orenburg gas processing plant in southern Russia on October 19, 2025. But an image of firefighters battling a massive blaze shared online was in fact taken more than a year ago in the Kursk region.
“In case you didn’t know, fluoride has been directly linked to many different neurological issues so the fact that the Trump administration is going to remove fluoride from our water supply is a massive deal,” says the speaker in a November 5, 2024 Instagram video.
“They are using HAARP to ensure that HURRICANE HELENE devastates the largest Republican stronghold area in Florida. This hurricane will destroy homes, displace thousands and ensure much less participation in the presidential election in November,” says a September 26, 2024 Facebook post.
“1997: Warmest Year of The Century 16.92°C (62.45°F) 2023: Hottest Year On Record 14.98°C (58.96°C),” says a May 8, 2024 post on X.
Right-wing influencers amplified a fabricated statement attributed to the Islamic State group in an effort to link New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to the extremist organization after his victory in the US financial capital’s highly anticipated election. Independent experts and terrorism-monitoring organizations told AFP the fake had not appeared on official IS channels and did not resemble the group’s authentic communications.
Saudi Arabia, the host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, has unveiled plans to build a football arena on top of a real estate complex in a futuristic new megacity project, but an image purported to depict the Gulf nation’s plan to construct the world’s first “sky stadium” was made with AI. The creator of the visual that went massively viral in late October and even duped media outlets told AFP it is AI-generated, while a source told AFP the “sky stadium” design is “completely fabricated”.
Posts about allegedly exploding electric cars have been circulating on social media for a long time. However, the footage usually shows cars with combustion engines that the authors of such manipulations misleadingly label as electric vehicles. According to available data, electric cars are in fact safer in this regard, as fires and explosions occur far less frequently. What do these viral posts look like, and how widespread is the narrative about exploding electric cars? We describe this phenomenon in our prebunking article.
“Zelensky Is DITCHING Ukraine for America,” says the caption of a December 21, 2023 TikTok post from Clayton Morris, a podcaster and former Fox & Friends host.
“Media: One of #Zelensky’s bodyguards brought his chief’s visit to the #US to a vibrant conclusion starting a fight in a bar not far from the UN office because the visitors didn’t want to shout out after him ‘Glory to Ukraine,'” says a September 26, 2023 X post shared by the Russian embassy in South Africa.
“Turkiye is now sending support to (Palestinians),” says text over the October 30, 2023 TikTok video, showing an icon of a Palestinian flag.
At around 8:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Tuesday, the health ministry in Gaza reported an Israeli air strike had hit the Christian-run hospital in central Gaza City.
Thousands of Palestinians fled to southern Gaza for refuge on October 13 after Israel warned them to evacuate before an expected ground offensive against Hamas in response to the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
