Freedom of expression remains a fundamental pillar of democratic societies. However, the growing proliferation of harmful online content — including disinformation, hate speech, and incitement to violence — poses significant risks to public trust, the integrity of democratic institutions, and societal cohesion. Countering disinformation and harmful content remains among the priorities for the Council of Europe. The critical importance of a safe and trustworthy digital environment was highlighted in the Report 2025 of the Secretary General, Towards a New Democratic Pact for Europe, which also recalls the Reykjavík Principles of Democracy as a guiding framework for member states in addressing both current and emerging threats to democratic discourse.

The Council of Europe Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression is organising a session entitled “Countering Harmful Content and Disinformation Online”. The event will take place within the framework of the South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance (SEEDIG) in Athens on 10 October.

This Council of Europe session will bring together representatives from regulatory authorities, key institutions, and distinguished media experts from Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Italy. Participants will share experiences, exchange best practices, and explore strategies for effective regulation, combating disinformation and harmful content online, and promoting media literacy across the region.

Discussions will focus on Council of Europe standards for countering disinformation and hate speech online, as well as the implementation of related EU instruments. The purpose of the session is to explore how to strengthen democratic resilience and enhance cooperation between governments, regulators, civil society, media, and academia to tackle disinformation and harmful online content and address the challenges of today’s digital media landscape.

The event is open to the public and online registration is required for all participants.

The conclusions and key takeaways from the session will be published following the event.