Open Digital Repository

It is important to distinguish between different phenomena that are commonly referred to as ‘disinformation’:

– misinformation is false or misleading content shared without harmful intent though the effects can still be harmful, e.g. when people share false information with friends and family in good faith;

– disinformation is false or misleading content that is spread with an intention to deceive or secure economic or political gain and which may cause public harm;

– information influence operation refers to coordinated efforts by either domestic or foreign actors to influence a target audience using a range of deceptive means, including suppressing independent information sources in combination with disinformation; and

– foreign interference in the information space, often carried out as part of a broader hybrid operation, can be understood as coercive and deceptive efforts to disrupt the free formation and expression of individuals’ political will by a foreign state actor or its agents74.

For each type of these phenomena, and depending on the actor, channel and impact, different policy responses are required, in accordance with fundamental rights and democratic standards. For example, misinformation, where there is no intention to deceive, cause public harm or make an economic gain, can be tackled essentially by proactive communication, providing reliable information and raising awareness of the need to critically assess content and sources. To address the other phenomena, where there is a harmful intent, a more robust response is needed and our capabilities need to be continuously developed. You can find resources supporting these efforts in the #FakeNews tag in the ODR.

Many people think that critical thinking is related to criticizing. In a sense of the word to express disapproval of someone or something but it’s rather something else. Word ‘critical’ is related to a greek word κριτικός ‎(kritikós, “of or for judging, able to discern”). Critical thinking is a skill of thinking and reasoning in which thoughts are assessed for its clarity, accuracy, relevance and logicalness. It doesn’t include accepting all arguments and conclusions which may occur. During this process is important to ask for more informations, to question the source and one’s own beliefs and be open to alternative possibilities and evidence that doesn’t support preferred opinions.

Although collocation ‘critical thinking’ has its roots in the mid-late 20th century, the concept and its idea can be traced to Ancient Greece about 2,500 years ago. Big personality for critical thinking is Socrates. Many know his method of questioning sometimes called as “Socratic Questioning” and is still valued as a one of the best critical thinking teaching strategy. Also he promoted the importance of seeking evidence, examining reasoning and assumptions. Analyzing not just what is said but also who said it and how it correspond with reality.

So briefly critical thinking is self-guided rational thinking trying to reason at the highest level of quality. It involves checking one’s own thought and purificate it from egocentric tendencies. It is important try to avoid mistakes in reasoning, prejudices, biases, distortions and other fallacies caused by human irrationality. To further enhance and facilitate your interest in the topic, look up the resources under the #CriticalThinking tag in the ODR.

Diversity starts with our uniqueness compared to other human beings. It continues with our age, sex, race, culture, religion, profession, and other aspects of our individual identity. Diversity is also about our local communities, regions, and nations. Respect for diversity, while building on our common values and desires, is key in building a prosperous, inclusive, and harmonious society.

As diversity nurtures innovation and creativity, it has helped spur many digital developments. From the early days, the internet has been an important enabler of diversity through the inclusion of a wide range of individuals and cultures. Lately, however, tech platforms have facilitated the creation of echo chambers among groups, entrenching like-minded individuals in spaces where they are not exposed to diversity in individuals, language, and communication style.

The future of digitalisation and our society depends on at least protecting diversity, and at best, nurturing it. In particular, it will be a challenge for emerging digital developments like AI platforms, which may sacrifice diversity as they aim to achieve economic optimisation. To enable and nurture diversity across the digital domain ,we have gathered several key resources in our ODR under the #DigitalDiversity tag.

Democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights are the foundations on which the European Union is based. Democracy is a core European value, and a precondition for EU membership. The EU’s citizens see democracy, human rights and the rule of law as its most important asset.

Democracy allows citizens to shape laws and public policies at European, national, regional and local levels. It requires safeguards, checks and balances, and institutions that fulfil their roles and uphold the rules of pluralistic democratic debate. For participation to be meaningful, citizens must also be able to form their own judgements – they should be able to make electoral choices in a public space where a plurality of views can be expressed freely and where free media, academia and civil society can play their role in stimulating open debate, free from malign interference, either domestic or foreign. Democracy can only thrive in a climate where freedom of information and freedom of expression are both upheld, in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights, allowing everyone to express their views, regardless how critical they are towards the governments and those in power

Our European democratic cultures, in all their diversity, are being challenged by the digital transformation. Efforts to support a vibrant civil society and to promote and enhance democratic participation can be found in the #ActiveCitizenship tag in the ODR.