5 December 2023
A research project led by a Department of Government & Public Policy academic to assess the risks associated with digital political campaigning in the European Union has received a €1.4million funding boost from the EU.
DIGIEFFECT, a pioneering research initiative led by Dr Gabriela Borz will evaluate the effectiveness of EU regulation in reducing online misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.
Employing an innovative theoretical framework grounded in risk analysis at multiple tiers, DIGIEFFECT delves into how the European Union, online corporations, and citizens perceive, prioritize, and counter the hazards inherent in online political advertising.
The initiative, which will run until 2026, involves engaging citizens in assessing their exposure to online campaigning by political entities and evaluating the effectiveness of various measures implemented by online companies in compliance with EU legislation.
Through the acquisition of unique and freshly gathered data, DIGIEFFECT aims to shed light on citizens’ levels of digital political literacy and illuminate the conditions under which specific regulatory tools could effectively curtail online mis, dis, and malinformation.