- September 10, 2026
- ; 16:00
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- September 10, 2026
- ; 18:00
Democratic societies rely on trust, informed citizens, and mutual understanding. In an era where social media shapes public discourse and the majority of young people consume their news primarily via these platforms, the integrity of the online information environment has become a question of democratic survival. Disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) are actively exploiting this shift, undermining the shared factual basis that open societies rely on. Influencers and content creators occupy a critical position in this regard as they are often among the first actors to encounter disinformation while simultaneously functioning as trusted communicators to audiences that traditional media struggles to reach.
On September 10, 2026, the Aspen Institute Germany launched its Digital Defenders: Influencers for Digital Democracy project, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. In the first workshop, the team welcomed the cohort of 18 influencers and content creators from Germany, Central and Eastern Europe, and the United States. Meeting for the first time, participants introduced themselves, their work, and reflected on their own experience navigating the digital information environment.
The project team also presented the structure of the year ahead: a series of online workshops, study trips to Berlin and Bucharest, and a simulation exercise centered on a fictional influence operation targeting an election. The welcome workshop marked the beginning of a year-long collaboration in which participants will build a cross-border network aimed at strengthening democratic discourse in Europe and across the transatlantic community.
