The role of artificial intelligence and its place in the new disinformation strategies is perhaps one of the most difficult issues to focus on nowadays, since we are at the beginning of a process of definition and ways of exploration. In this paper, first of all, we analyze the different approaches that are being applied to the regulation of artificial intelligence and that may affect the different disinformation strategies that are being identified. Secondly, we study how artificial intelligence is being used to identify disinformation content. In this regard, from the point of view of verification processes, one of the main challenges is when identifying deepfakes (images and video, mainly) linked to news cycles. From this perspective, a typology of deepfakes is proposed and its main characteristics will be described according to the verifications carried out by the Spanish fact-checking organizations. Finally, a set of recommendations will be presented to work from a media literacy point of view with the identification of deepfakes.

La desinformación es uno de los grandes desafíos para Europa. En los últimos años, el continente europeo en general y la Unión Europea (UE) en particular vienen sufriendo diferentes campañas desinformativas: como la que llevó a Reino Unido a la salida de la UE; la doble pandemia sanitaria y desinformativa; o la estrategia híbrida de propaganda tras la invasión rusa en Ucrania. En dicho contexto, el fallecimiento de la reina Isabel II de Inglaterra también ha estado marcado por prácticas desinformadoras viralizadas por toda Europa. Ante ello, esta investigación pretende ahondar en la naturaleza de la desinformación relativa al fallecimiento de la monarca en tres países europeos, España, Reino Unido y Francia, entre el 8 y el 22 de septiembre de 2022. Para ello, se ha llevado a cabo una triangulación metodológica basada en un análisis de contenido de 76 publicaciones completas de medios de verificación, así como en encuestas de respuesta abierta a agentes especializados. Los resultados apuntan a que las redes sociales se constituyeron como la principal plataforma por la que se difundieron contenidos desinformativos. Dichos bulos, que incluyeron imágenes mayoritariamente, respondieron eminentemente a la tipología de contenidos engañosos y fabricados establecida por Wardle (2017). Asimismo, la temática principal de los bulos viralizados versaba sobre teorías de la conspiración, con Isabel II como gran protagonista de estas. Por otra parte, la frecuencia de difusión de los bulos fue significativamente mayor durante la primera semana tras el fallecimiento de la monarca, y respondió a una tendencia transnacional en la que la diseminación desinformativa se adaptó a los contextos nacionales.

The outbreak at the end of February 2022 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine—and the Russian–Ukrainian hostilities that began in 2014 with the Euromaidan—has led to numerous dramatic episodes from both a humanitarian and an informative perspective. In this context, social media have been filled with rhetoric and narrative mechanisms, both from civil society organisations and from European media and institutions, in their eagerness to define their position within the dialectical battle. This research aims to address organisational communication in the European Union during the first year after the invasion, taking as its object of study the publications of four institutional bodies: European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, and European External Action Service. For this purpose, a content analysis of tweets was carried out, as well as in-depth interviews with specialised actors in institutional communication and disinformation at the EU level. Overall, the results show that the parallel narrative of the Commission, the Parliament, the Council, and the EEAS has been quite similar and lacks significant divergences, reflecting coherence and coordination in the communication strategies around the Ukrainian war, although there are interesting findings on the interaction of the institutions with the media and other civil society actors in communicating this international crisis via social media.

Disinformation during the 2022 Brazilian elections peaked on January 8, 2023, coinciding with an attempted assault on key state institutions. Previously, a wave of false information and conspiracy theories with the clear objective of delegitimizing the electoral system and attacking the main candidates was the scenario that distinguished the presidential elections. This study examines hoaxes related to the 2022 Brazilian elections through verifications conducted by two leading fact-checking organizations: Agencia Lupa and Aos Fatos. The sample comprises 219 pieces of verification published between August 29 and October 31, 2022. The results reveal an electoral campaign characterised by hoaxes in viral audiovisual format, particularly spread on Facebook and WhatsApp, with a higher flow of disinformation in the second round. Likewise, deceptive content about voting processes and electoral fraud predominates. Additionally, the main targets of false narratives were the presidential candidates Lula da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022 triggered a series of dramatic events with both humanitarian and informational repercussions. In this context, social media became saturated with rhetorical strategies and narrative framing from civil society, European media, and EU institutions alike. This paper examines how the European Union communicated institutionally during the first year of the war, focusing on the online activity of the three main EU bodies—the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Council—and their respective presidents: Ursula von der Leyen, Roberta Metsola, and Charles Michel. The study centres on their use of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), analysing the content of their posts related to the conflict. In addition, several in-depth interviews were conducted with experts in EU institutional communication and disinformation on social media to complement the analysis and offer a broader perspective on the communicative strategies employed.

This essay by Jorge Tuñón offers a comprehensive analysis of the impact of disinformation and post-truth on European democracy. Through an interdisciplinary approach and clear, accessible language, the author explores the role of political and media communication in cases such as Brexit and the 2019 European elections, revealing how fake news has distorted public perception and institutional legitimacy. The book also examines the EU’s strategies against disinformation, assessing both achievements and shortcomings, and calls for a balance between regulation, media literacy, and civic engagement to safeguard democracy. With conceptual precision and pedagogical clarity, Tuñón’s work stands as an essential reference for understanding the communicative and political challenges facing the European Union in the digital age.