New book from ICSJ analyzes threats, disinformation, and regulation of the digital space in Europe

What are the current security and information threats in the European digital space? And how is Europe responding to them? ICSJ FSV UK researchers Kateřina Turková and Veronika Macková have published a new book, Threats, Disinformation, and Regulations in the European Digital Environment, which provides an interdisciplinary perspective on the development of digital regulation and the current challenges associated with the spread of disinformation in Europe. The publication was released by the prestigious Bloomsbury publishing house and was created as part of the ReMeD project.

Given the dynamic development of regulatory approaches to the digital sphere at both the European Union and national levels, and the differences between them, it is important to examine the current form of this regulation at both levels. Only then can we better understand the individual approaches and their impacts. The authors therefore analyze these phenomena from a European and national perspective with the aim of identifying best practices and less successful approaches.

The volume is divided into four thematic sections. The first maps the threats and trust issues associated with disinformation in the European digital environment. The second provides examples of successful strategies in the fight against disinformation. The third part focuses on specific regulatory measures adopted by individual states or the European Union. The final part identifies current challenges and offers recommendations and suggestions for further research in this area.

The individual chapters were contributed to by members of the ICSJ research team (Kateřina Turková, Veronika Macková, Alice Němcová Tejkalová, Anna Shavit, Victoria Nainová) and the international ReMeD project team, including Nicole Stremlau (University of Oxford) and Ana Azurmendi (University of Navarra). Other contributors include Czech and foreign experts such as Flavia Durach (National University for Political Studies and Public Administration), Ethan Shattock (Queen’s University Belfast), and Eva Fialová (Institute of State and Law of the Czech Academy of Sciences). ICSJ doctoral students Barbora Součková, Zuzana Jarolímková, and Barbara Ravbar also contributed to the publication.

“The book focuses on regulations responding to disinformation—for example, in connection with the war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, or migration—as well as other threats in the European digital space. Thanks to the contributions of the authors of the individual chapters, we have managed to compile a diverse collection of texts that describe the current situation and offer perspectives from different parts of Europe," says one of the editors, Kateřina Turková. The publication represents a current expert contribution to the debate on digital regulation, information security, and the future of the European media space.