EU, India explore cooperation in combatting online disinformation

New Delhi: Over 35 experts from the European Union (EU) and India will hold extensive deliberations on Wednesday to unpack the security and policy aspects in jointly combating online disinformation campaigns.

The peer-to-peer discussion in Delhi will explore trends in the use of disinformation online and encourage EU and Indian governmental and non-governmental actors to compare notes and share best practices for countering disinformation.

The EU and India have on multiple occasions reaffirmed their commitment to an open, free, secure, stable, peaceful and accessible cyberspace that enables economic growth and innovation.

The EU-India track 1.5 event - 'Combatting disinformation online: EU and Indian perspectives' - is the fourth roundtable being co-organised by the EU-funded project Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia (ESIWA) and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the EU Delegation to India.

The high-level meeting will feature speakers from across the EU such as the European External Action Service, German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, French Embassy in New Delhi and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

From the Indian side, representatives from agencies such as the National Cyber Coordination Centre, and the National Security Council Secretariat of India will participate.

Experts will deliberate foreign policy responses to disinformation in both regions, highlight developments in the EU's and India's work to disrupt malicious actors, and reflect on the role of civil society in addressing online disinformation and building resilience, a readout by the EU delegation in India said.

"In the physical world, Europe might seem far away from Asia but in cyberspace, we live together, sometimes in a complex, dangerous cyber neighbourhood where our societies depend on resilient trustworthy digital services and where we can all become victims to malicious cyber-attacks," said Deputy Head of the Delegation of the EU to India Seppo Nurmi.

"We need to combat such challenges with mutual defence and strong, trusted cooperation,' Nurmi said. 'Participants from both regions will provide insights into their respective approaches to curbing disinformation with a special focus on safeguarding free speech and privacy."

The Track 1.5 dialogue will reflect on the foreign policy responses by India and the EU to online disinformation while identifying opportunities for EU-India cooperation.

To promote further cooperation, ESIWA and ORF have jointly hosted a series of track 1.5 dialogues between the EU and India in the format of high-level meetings. The first three meetings were organised in April 2022, October 2022, and March 2023 in New Delhi on the sidelines of the CyFy and Raisina dialogues.

The conclusions of the meetings feed into the formal EU-India Cybersecurity Dialogues, progressing the discussion on evolving security challenges and building connections between two global security actors.

"Online disinformation and information manipulation is a growing political and security challenge," said Mindaugas Lasas, the Head of Sector - Hybrid Threats at the European External Action Service.