OECD information integrity project launches in Athens

The national kickoff meeting for the OECD Cross-Border Project on Enhancing Information Integrity took place in Athens. Supported by the European Economic Area (EEA) Grants and Norway, this five-year initiative aims to implement the OECD Recommendation on Information Integrity, the first international standard in this field. The project is built on three pillars: pluralism and transparency of sources, social resilience, and strong institutions.

Participating countries include Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania. In Greece, the General Secretariat of Communication and Information serves as the national contact point.

During the launch, Government Spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis described misinformation as a ‘crisis’ that threatens the quality of information and public trust in institutions, voting, and fellow citizens. He emphasized that the deliberate creation and dissemination of false information for manipulation must be addressed ‘without becoming a pretext for censorship.’ Marinakis noted that lies often spread faster and cheaper than the truth, necessitating a comprehensive strengthening of the information ecosystem rather than addressing individual false reports in isolation. He also addressed the issue of toxic online anonymity and the threats faced by journalists and citizens, suggesting a need for user identification at the platform level.