Digital Watchdog

Digital tools targeting youth disinformation narratives The project’s main aim is the development of innovative digital tools for educating young people on media literacy. We are doing this by curating an interdisciplinary approach focused on the design of …

In the special broadcast of Moldova alege!, the focus is on the upcoming presidential elections and the constitutional referendum that will decide Moldova’s future. The program features expert discussions about Moldova’s pivotal moment as citizens will …

Moldova's Political Crossroads: A Discussion on the Stakes of the 2024 Presidential Elections and EU Referendum   In this edition of Secretele Puterii, Alex Cozer welcomes prominent experts Sorin Ioniță, president of Expert Forum, Vlad Kulminski, executive …

This initiative, funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, aims to extend the methodologies and approaches developed to a regional level, integrating experts from Moldova and Ukraine into comparative monitoring briefs focusing on the most sensitive …

Project Duration: November 2022 - April 2023 Implemented by: Expert Forum Funded by: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Our project’s main aim is to create a more resilient and fact-based digital information ecosystem in the context of the Ukrainian war. …

An EFOR-ARP opinion poll provides new data on social media consumption and Romanians’ trust in social networks. Here are a few conclusions: Television remains the dominant source of information in terms of trust Among platforms, …

Monitoring Report: April–May 2026 Authors: Mădălina Voinea (Digital Programs Coordinator, Expert Forum), Vlad Adamescu (Co-Chair, Center for Democracy and Good Governance), Monirul Hassan (Independent Researcher, Computer Science)   FULL REPORT HERE 1. Context: Romania's Political Crisis, the Digital Media …

Author: Madalina Voinea Credits: Context, PROMPT Following the elections in the Republic of Moldova, we are seeing surprising reactions in the public sphere regarding the apparent performance of Vasile Costiuc's Democracy at Home Party, a party that …

“On social networks, a Romanian think tank found that just one hundred coordinated accounts promoted videos with 13 million views in a single month. Their comments—thousands of lines copied word for word—reflect manipulation, not an …

Authors: Voinea Mădălina, Sorin Ioniță The report, based on the analysis of 3,391 videos, 36,338 comments, and 100 identified inauthentic accounts, reveals an alarming reality. From fake accounts generated by artificial intelligence that mimic the character …

A network evolving from accounts and the hashtag #ankaversace to an ecosystem of conspiracies and anti-establishment content In February 2025, we discovered a coordinated network on TikTok spreading globalist conspiracy theories and anti-establishment messages, generating 1,119 …

Techniques: coordinated distribution, clickbait, and accidental viralization in the 2025 Facebook campaign Facebook is already a common social network for Romanians, with over 11 million users in 2025. Information circulates intensely in public and private …

See the report here  What can we observe in the case of the 2025 presidential elections in Romania? Online election campaigns in Romania have entered a new era, dominated by an industry of political promotion through inauthentic …

We have been monitoring the presidential campaign on TikTok since January 2025 and have observed mostly positive trends in visibility for Crin Antonescu and George Simion through inauthentic accounts of the CIB (Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour) …

Expert Forum’s Official Position on Elon Musk’s Intimidation Campaign Expert Forum (EFOR) and our fellow civil society organizations are facing an unprecedented attack from powerful figures like Elon Musk. We believe this is an increasingly dangerous …

After the first round of the presidential elections, held on November 24, we spent many days dissecting the online antics of Călin Georgescu, the surprise winner, as well as the malfunctions of TikTok and social …

The first round of Romania’s presidential elections on November 24, 2024, triggered a political shockwave, exposing deep vulnerabilities in the country’s institutions. A previously unknown candidate, Călin Georgescu, surged ahead, fueled by viral social media …

Author: Madalina Voinea Elections: What happened online, and how can similar disruptions be prevented in the future? One of the critical questions surrounding Romania's political, social, and democratic crisis is: what happened on TikTok? Why is it …

What can we observe in the case of Romania? FULL REPORT HERE We invite you to open the Pandora’s box now and explore why the TikTok platform has captured widespread attention, particularly in Romania. According to reports …

Policy Brief 190 - From Underdog to Contender The Rise of Călin Georgescu in the Polls  From September 2024 until now political hashtags have been constantly TOP trending on Romania. Following our online monitoring it was …

EFOR President, Sorin Ioniță, delivered a presentation at the Accession Exchange Forum, a platform for EU candidate countries organized by NEC - New Europe Center. The event brought together leaders from government and civil society …

  Analysis Reports - Elections in Romania and Moldova: Kremlin’s Campaign Narratives An in-depth analysis of disinformation narratives and strategies employed during electoral campaigns in Romania and Moldova, with a focus on Kremlin-backed influence efforts. Romania Report: …

In contemporary society, polarization within families and interpersonal relationships is often fueled by the ways we engage with social media and disinformation. This pressing reality is explored in the new play (De)conectat, written and directed …

EFOR participă la festivalul One World România 2024 cu expoziția „Museum of Fake”. Vom fi la Muzeul Țăranului Român alături de partenerii noștri internaționali timp de trei zile. Ce vrem cu expoziția asta?  În ultimii doi ani …

  In the face of growing strategic threats and disinformation campaigns, Expert Forum, in partnership with WatchDog.MD, has been at the forefront of efforts to protect Moldova’s democratic processes. With the constitutional referendum and presidential election …

Manipulating Romanians in favor of the Kremlin's agenda is not easy, with Romanians being skeptical of the intentions of the Eastern neighbor based on their historical relations. Our experiences between East and West meant replacing …

The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) came into force in February 2024, marking a significant shift in the regulation of digital services across the European Union. In Romania, the implementation law was officially published in …

Conversation with Dr. Anton Shekhovtsov, Ukrainian disinformation expert at the Romanian Diplomatic Institute 15th of March 2024 Expert Forum (EFOR) and Romanian Diplomatic Institute (IDR) organized a public debate featuring  Dr. Anton Shekhovtsov, an internationally-renowned author of …

Overview of a Year of Aggression - February 2022-2023 ROMANIA ONLINE MONITORING   Introduction With public support for the European Union’s support for Ukraine around 60%, Romania remains in the bottom quarter of EU Member States according to Eurobarometer …

Context - Why do we care about politicians' communication online? The National Coalition for Romania came to power about 3 months before Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, controversial legislation that led to democratic setbacks has become …

In theory, Romania had all the data to get through last year's energy crisis without painful implications for citizens or the private sector. In March 2022, we already had the government's commitment to cap prices …

EFOR is committed to transparency, integrity, and protecting research participants while ensuring compliance with international ethical standards. Our commitment includes the Ethics Review Committee (ERC) Governance & Procedures, which details the review process for research projects, …

  The Hungarian Media Landscape is dominated by pro-FIDESZ narratives mainly due to its dependency on Budapest funds. In the last three years, the Transylvanian Media Space Association received a grant of 20 million euros from …

For the last 12 months, we have been monitoring FIDESZ propaganda present in the Hungarian community in Transylvania disseminated through regional newspapers. The main messages they convey are related to the protection and opportunities …