Main session 2 – Cyber interference with democracy
5 June 2025
EN – FR – ES
9h00 - 12h30 - CET+1
Hemicycle"Cyber interference with democracy” refers to the use of information and communication technologies to manipulate or undermine democratic institutions, processes, or public trust in governance. Elections are at the core of democracy. Interference with elections through malicious cyber activities undermines free, fair and clean elections and trust. It may target computers and data used as well as officials and candidates participating in elections and election campaigns, and involve information operations, the misuse of social media, evading transparency, circumventing rules on elections and political finances, and other activities. Such threats have been experienced in particular since 2014. In 2019, the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY) adopted a Guidance Note on election interference with a focus on criminal law aspects. In 2024/2025, the challenge of cyber interference compromising elections has again come to the forefront in multiple countries. The purpose of this session is to identify:
- the different types of malicious actions and actors involved in cyber interference with democracy;
- the rules and laws that are being violated;
- the measures needed to prevent and respond to such cyber interference in accordance with principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
- Introduction and objective of the session: about cyber interference with democracy
- Cyber interference with democracy – actions and actors
- Preventing and responding to cyber interference with democracy
- Conclusions
Presentations and panel discussions
- Introduction and objective of the session: about cyber interference with democracy
- Cyber interference with democracy – actions and actors
- Preventing and responding to cyber interference with democracy
- Conclusions
Resources
Council of Europe:
- Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY): T-CY Guidance Note on election interference
- Council of Europe standards in the electoral field & Reference standards of the Council of Europe - Elections
- Council of Europe / Venice Commission:
- Interpretative declaration of the Code of good practice in electoral matters as concerns digital technologies and artificial intelligence (December 2024)
- Urgent Report on the Cancelation of Election Results by Constitutional Courts (January 2025) CDL-PI(2023)
- Reports and recommendations regarding elections and political parties Council for Democratic Elections - Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
- Joint report on digital technologies and elections https://www.coe.int/en/web/venice-commission/-/CDL-AD(2019)016-e
- Council of Europe Guidance note on countering the spread of online mis- and disinformation through fact-checking and platform design solutions https://www.coe.int/en/web/freedom-expression/-/new-guidance-note-on-countering-the-spread-of-online-mis-and-disinformation-through-fact-checking-and-platform-design-solutions
European Union:
- Digital Services Act (European Union, 2024)
- The Code of Conduct on Disinformation | Shaping Europe’s digital future
- Transparency Center
- EU External Action Service: Reports on Information Integrity and Countering Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference (FIMI) https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/information-integrity-and-countering-foreign-information-manipulation-interference-fimi_en
- EU NIS 2 Directive - 2022/2555 - EN - EUR-Lex
- ENISA Opinion Paper_03.indd : Election Cybersecurity: Challenges and Opportunities
Atlantic Council:
- Foreign Interference in Ukraine’s elections https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/foreign-interference-in-ukraine-s-election/
Brennan Center for Justice
- Gauging the AI Threat to Free and Fair Elections https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/gauging-ai-threat-free-and-fair-elections
Center for Democracy and Technology:
- Adaptation and Innovation: The Civic Space Response to AI-Infused Elections https://cdt.org/insights/adaptation-and-innovation-the-civic-space-response-to-ai-infused-elections/
- Adaptation and Innovation: The Civic Space Response to AI-Infused Elections
- This is Not An #Ad: Political Influencers, Elections, and Information Integrity on Social Media
- Generating Confusion: Stress-Testing AI Chatbot Responses on Voting with a Disability
- Election Integrity Recommendations for Generative AI Developers
- Rules of the Road: Political Advertising on Social Media in the 2024 U.S. Election
Institute for Strategic Dialogue:
- The achilles’ heel of EU’s media sanctions: Reassessing RT Deutsch access ahead of Germany’s 2025 Federal Election https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/the-achilles-heel-of-eus-media-sanctions-reassessing-rt-deutsch-access-ahead-of-germanys-2025-federal-election/
- Effectiveness of the sactions on Russian state-affiliated media in the European Union https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Effectiveness-of-the-sanctions-on-Russian-state-media-1.pdf
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA):
- Cybersecurity in Elections https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/publications/cybersecurity-in-elections-models-of-interagency-collaboration.pdf
Microsoft:
- Russia, Iran, and China continue influence campaigns before Election Day 2024 | Security Insider
- Russia-linked operators engaged in expansive efforts to influence US voters | Security Insider
- Iran steps into US election 2024 with cyber-enabled influence operations | Security Insider
- How Russia is trying to disrupt the 2024 Paris Olympic Games | Security Insider
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCPR):
VIGINUM (France):
- Analysis of the Russian information manipulation set Storm-1516: 20250507_TLP-CLEAR_NP_SGDSN_VIGINUM_Technical report_Storm-1516.pdf
If you have any questions related to this workshop, please contact the Octopus Conference Secretariat