Online Violence, Misinformation, and Digital Safety Drive Urgent Regional Advocacy Action

Civil society organizations across Southeast Europe, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and Türkiye have identified online safety and information integrity as urgent and interconnected advocacy priorities.

The increasing prevalence of online violence, hate speech, and misinformation continues to negatively affect women, journalists, activists, and public figures across the region. In North Macedonia, online violence against women, activists, journalists, and women in public positions was highlighted as one of the most serious and persistent challenges requiring coordinated institutional responses.

Organizations from Armenia and Georgia emphasized concerns related to online hate speech, misinformation, artificial intelligence risks, cybersecurity, and the protection of vulnerable groups. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan highlighted the importance of digital literacy, cybersecurity awareness, gender-inclusive participation, and youth engagement as key elements of safer and more democratic digital environments.

Participants from Türkiye contributed insights from their experience in combating misinformation and strengthening information integrity. They pointed to challenges in accessing reliable data, difficulties in verification processes, and structural barriers in engaging with public institutions. The need for improved transparency and stronger information-access mechanisms was highlighted as essential for effective civic oversight and public accountability.

Participants also emphasized the importance of capacity building on AI use in advocacy and journalism, as well as fostering collaboration between civil society actors working on digital rights, media literacy, and public communication.

The group agreed that addressing online harms requires a combination of regulatory reform, digital literacy initiatives, institutional accountability, and sustained cross-border cooperation. The news is published as part of the Regional Support Mechanism EECA project, implemented by Metamorphosis Foundation and TechSoup, in partnership with CIVICUS and under the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) that covers the Global South.