The integrity of information circulating in the public domain is consequential to how societies perceive truth, interpret events, and construct understanding of complex issues. Yet today’s public space is increasingly vulnerable to systematic manipulation through misinformation and disinformation.

These developments carry implications well beyond the digital sphere. The manipulation of information can undermine institutional legitimacy, deepen social polarization, distort political processes, and increasingly serve as an instrument of geopolitical competition and foreign interference. The main challenge is therefore how democratic societies can maintain an open information environment while mitigating the risks posed by actors who deliberately exploit it.

This session will discuss how information affects democratic resilience and international affairs. It will consider how governments, media, technology companies, and citizens can strengthen defenses against information manipulation while preserving openness, and how societies can safeguard their capacity to distinguish evidence from influence, and truth from deception.