What solutions are there to the hijacking of fact-checking?

The information war is taking a new turn. Last month, Russia announced the creation of a global fact-checking network named the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN). Similar to the Russian fact-checking site WaronFakes, created one week after the start of the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin is now adopting the language and appearance of professional fact-checking organizations—only to advance its own agenda. This was highlighted in a recent government press briefing focused on “Russian disinformation methods.”

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, manipulation and disinformation efforts have intensified, aiming to legitimize the war and destabilize Western countries. In Ukraine’s media space, false claims are circulating, such as the rumor that Emmanuel Macron’s party offered citizens €100 in exchange for votes in the legislative elections—a falsehood reported by Euractiv in July 2024.

The strategy of disguise

“The goal is not so much to convince, but to sow confusion about facts and reality,” said Jeanne Cavelier, head of RSF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia office, to AFP regarding the Russian initiative.

Vladimir Tabak, director of the NGO ANO Dialog and partner of the GFCN project, defended it by claiming it brings together those who “share [their] opinions and values.” Tabak, a Kremlin ally, was previously sanctioned for attempting to influence the last U.S. presidential election using automated social media bots.

In June, the Finnish tech firm Check First uncovered another pro-Russian influence campaign: Operation Overloard. Its tactic is to flood media fact-checking services with requests to verify information—usually originating from the encrypted platform Telegram. The catch? These pieces of content are fabricated and fake, designed to overload fact-checkers. Hundreds of such requests were emailed to various newsrooms. According to RFI, more than 800 organizations across over 75 countries were targeted.

In Russia, under the guise of fact-checking, pro-regime actors accuse governments, public figures, and media of spreading misinformation. This strategy is often used against Ukrainians to sow doubt and discredit the other side. Russian media and Telegram channels broadcast fake “fact-checks” that debunk information that was itself invented—an approach exposed by ProPublica in March 2022.

1.5 billion fake news posts daily

A March 2024 Arcom study found that over half of French people now get their news online, increasing their exposure to social media manipulation. “In the past, people who wanted to spread falsehoods had only small publications or photocopies. Today, social media lets them reach a large audience almost instantly,” said Grégoire Lemarchand, then head of digital investigations at AFP, in a June 2022 MediaConnect interview. According to digital ID security firm ID Crypt Global, no less than 1.5 billion fake news posts are published each day on platforms like Facebook, X, and TikTok.

AFP’s fact-checking service “Factuel” recently flagged TikTok accounts presenting themselves as legitimate news sources, with thousands of followers—yet spreading deliberate disinformation to provoke reactions and build online engagement. Social media algorithms, designed to maximize interaction, tend to boost controversial content—whether true or not.

A screenshot of the account “newsfr_2” was taken on 05/12/2024 by Claire-Line NASS for AFP Factuel.

A December 2024 study by the Jean-Jaurès Foundation, L’ObSoCo, and Arte found that 53% of French people struggle to tell the difference between real and fake information. This difficulty is made worse by manipulated information—half-truths, misleading claims, and biased narratives. As Lemarchand, now deputy director of information strategy at AFP, explains: “It’s not just fake news—it’s warped, misleading, and twisted information too.”

To counteract this trend and improve content moderation standards, France and its European partners are taking action—most notably through the European Union’s Digital Services Act, which came into effect on August 25.

Solutions against disinformation

Fact-checking originated in the U.S. in the 1920s and became a recognized journalistic practice in the 1990s. With the rise of the internet and conspiracy theories (notably after 9/11), journalists began responding with dedicated verification sites, such as Factcheck.org (2003) and PolitiFact (2007).

In France, fact-checking gained traction in the late 2000s. Libération launched its column “Désintox” in 2008 (now “CheckNews”), followed by Le Monde with “Les Décodeurs” and franceinfo with “Le vrai ou faux” in 2012. Today, over a dozen fact-checking services operate in France, run by traditional media, press agencies, and independent organizations. They verify political claims, statistics, images, and online rumors.

Some of these organizations have joined DE FACTO, France’s first independent fact-checking hub, where researchers, journalists, and media literacy professionals collaborate to combat disinformation. Co-funded by the EU, the project promotes awareness and critical thinking among the general public.

The public, too, is mobilizing. One example is CitizenFact, a citizen newsroom led by journalist and YouTuber Aude Favre (guest on podcast episode #63 of “Media On The Move”). Over 1,000 people across Europe work with her on a Discord server to investigate topics like anti-vax rhetoric and adrenochrome conspiracies. Their work has been featured in a documentary series available on Arte.

To go even further, AFP—supported by the Google News Initiative—offers a free, open-access digital investigation training for journalists and students. The course includes three levels and provides AFP's investigation techniques, with certification upon completion. In MediaConnect podcast episode #27, journalists Grégoire Lemarchand and Sophie Nicholson explain how these modules support the agency's broader anti-disinformation strategy.