Information integrity, the fight against disinformation and digital platform responsibility were at the center of the “Who Protects Information Integrity? EU Approaches and French Experience” conference in Tirana. Faktoje (Prove It) organized the event with Hibrid.info and the French embassies in Albania and Kosova. Representatives of institutions, media, civil society and experts attended. The discussions focused on public and private actors’ responsibility in an information environment increasingly shaped by manipulation, artificial intelligence and digital platforms.

French Ambassador to Albania Catherine Suard said the international situation and social media were creating new challenges for public information and democracy. She said social media increasingly shape perceptions of events and that emotions often receive more attention than efforts to understand crises. Meanwhile, Suard said state and non-state actors increasingly use influence operations, manipulation and artificial amplification. She called for faster responses to false information, cooperation with media and fact-checkers, and stronger digital platform governance. Suard also presented France’s “French Response” initiative against disinformation.

European Movement Albania Executive Director Gledis Gjipali said Albania’s alignment of its digital services legislation with the European framework would create new obligations for media and civil society. Faktoje Executive Director Klodiana Kapo stressed the role of professional journalism in verifying information and promoting accountability. Socialist Party MP Iris Luarasi also presented examples of manipulated images in public debates. The conference addressed disinformation trends in Albania and Kosova, cross-border narratives, artificial intelligence-generated content and foreign interference in the information space. Experts also discussed media literacy and cooperation among media, institutions and civil society.

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