A4E Counter Disinformation Network (CDN)

The A4E Counter Disinformation Network (CDN) is a pan-European collaborative initiative designed to preempt, detect, and combat information manipulation. Bringing together a diverse coalition of OSINT researchers, journalists, fact-checkers, academics, other practitioners and their organisations, the CDN provides actionable intelligence, amplifies credible voices, and fosters collaboration to protect the integrity of public discourse.

At a time when democratic resilience is tested by the spread of coordinated manipulation campaigns, disinformation and influence operations, the CDN plays a central role in supporting media, policymakers, and civil society to take effective action. By validating and amplifying the work of practitioners and equipping responders with evidence-based insights, the CDN works to safeguard democratic systems and strengthen societal trust.

By collaborating systematically using common approaches, the network holds platforms to account and stops foreign interference and influence operations, by uncovering and reporting cases of information manipulation to the European Commission, national government agencies, media, civil society, using frameworks such as the Digital Services Act, the Code of Practice Against Disinformation, and sanction laws.  

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Collaboration and Crises Response Platform

The CDN gathers all member organisations on a common digital platform where quick and simple collaborations can be shaped:

  • Collaborative Projects: Members can create joint projects where participants collaborate on joint publications, maximizing the impact of their work by combining their knowledge and reach.
  • Crises and Major Event Response: During major crises and events, such as elections, the CDN has a Crisis Response Workflow that can be activated to help practitioners coordinate to avoid double work and quickly alert responders of threats.

 Knowledge Valorisation and Amplification of Ecosystem Work


Practitioners are producing a wide range of reports, methodologies, and tools that benefit a wide range of different stakeholders. The CDN works to provide the people who can use these resources are made aware of their existence.

  • Elevating Practitioners Impact: By publicly sharing findings, reports, and successes, CDN highlights the expertise and findings of practitioners, reinforcing their credibility and making sure their work to reach responders, such as policymakers, who can do something about their findings.
  • Knowledge Valorisation: Distribute findings, reports, new methodologies and tools to practitioners who can use them in their work, ensuring that the impact of investments in the development of the countering community is maximised.
  • Informing the Public: By collaborating with media, the findings of the CDN help inform the public about influence operations targeting them.   

Strategic Engagement with Lawmakers and Platforms

Through our partnerships, network memberships, and working relations with European governments, we help connect responders with government agencies and platforms. 

  • European Policy and DSA Enforcement: CDN regularly informs European Commission bodies, and national regulators to hold platforms accountable for non-compliance.
  • Advocating Countermeasures: CDN ensures that lawmakers and policymakers remain informed of Information manipulation threats through timely reports and briefings. 
  • Platform Accountability: By providing platforms with our findings and monitoring their response, we are also working to identify systemic risks.

Threat Monitoring and Alerts

  • Threat Monitoring: The CDN leverages its knowledge sharing platform to increase timely awareness of emerging influence operations, coordinated attacks, and emerging threats.
  • Targeted Alerts: Findings are shared with communicators, journalists, and decision-makers, enabling preemptive responses to emerging threats.
  • Trend Analysis and Reports: CDN delivers comprehensive analyses that identify information manipulation patterns, actors, and tactics, helping stakeholders anticipate and counteract information manipulation before it escalates.

Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing

  • Training Programs: A4E has trained over 100 practitioners in advanced Influence operations detection frameworks, such as the DISARM Framework, and OSINT Methodology.
  • Expert Roundtables: Roundtables gathering practitioners from different countries, disciplines, and organisations to finding solutions to common issues. 
  • Empowering Civil Society: CDN offers training and onboarding programs for CSO practitioners, ensuring they are equipped with the tools and methodologies to contribute effectively.

Impact and Value

Operational Results: Takedown of harmful channels, identification of platform breaches, and reduction in Information operation impact.

Ecosystem Recognition: Strengthened credibility and visibility for practitioners, journalists, and CSOs combating information manipulation.

Policy Influence: Evidence-based recommendations that drive improvements in platform accountability and enforcement measures.

Public Trust: Informing citizens with validated information, fostering trust in media and democratic institutions.

A Collaborative Hub for Expertise

The CDN connects a wide-ranging community of over 35 member organizations and 150 dedicated practitioners spanning journalism, fact-checking, open-source intelligence (OSINT), academia, strategic communication, and policy. This interdisciplinary network enables:

  • Cross-Sector Collaboration: Facilitating knowledge-sharing between experts from media, academia, civil society, and regulatory bodies to tackle influence operations from multiple angles.

  • State-of-the-Art Methodologies: Combining OSINT methods fact-checking, journalism, academia, and network mapping to identify, analyze, and counteract complex influence operations.

 

Get in touch with us to find out more about the CDN!

For any questions you can email our team at info@alliance4europe.eu