New Delhi to host roundtable to discuss EU-India cooperation in combatting online disinformation, information manipulation

New Delhi [India], Februray 19 (ANI): New Delhi will host a roundtable to discuss the European Union (EU) and India’s collaboration in security and policy aspects of online disinformation and information manipulation on February 21.

Over 35 experts from the EU and India will join forces in New Delhi on Wednesday (February 21).

They will further “unpack the security and policy aspects of online disinformation and information manipulation while identifying possible areas of EU-India collaboration,” the European External Action Service said in a statement.

The roundtable will take place on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2024.

The EU-India track 1.5 event “Combatting disinformation online: EU and Indian perspectives” is the 4th roundtable co-organised by the EU-funded project Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia (ESIWA) and the Indian Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the EU Delegation to India.

Moreover, the discussion will encourage EU and Indian governmental and non-governmental actors to compare notes about countering disinformation.

“The peer-to-peer discussion will explore trends in the use of disinformation online and encourage EU and Indian governmental and non-governmental actors to compare notes and share best practices for countering disinformation,” the statement added.

The high-level meeting will feature speakers from across the EU, including the European External Action Service, German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, French Embassy in New Delhi and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Additionally, representatives from agencies such as the Indian Prime Minister’s Office for Information Security, India’s National Cyber Coordination Centre, and the National Security Council Secretariat of India will also participate.

“Experts will deliberate foreign policy responses to disinformation in both regions, highlight developments in the EU’s and India’s work to disrupt malicious actors, and reflect on the role of civil society in addressing online disinformation and building resilience,” the statement read.

Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to India Seppo Nurmi, emphasised that although in the physical world, Europe might seem far away from Asia, but in cyber space, India and the Europe live together.

“In the physical world, Europe might seem far away from Asia but in cyberspace, we live together, sometimes in a complex, dangerous cyber neighbourhood where our societies depend on resilient trustworthy digital services and where we can all become victims to malicious cyber-attacks. We need to combat such challenges with mutual defence and strong,” Nurmi said, who will be delivering the welcome remarks at the roundtable.

Moreover, he highlighted that the track 1.5 dialogue will reflect on the EU’s and India’s foreign policy responses to online disinformation.

“Participants from both regions will provide insights into their respective approaches to curbing disinformation with a special focus on safeguarding free speech and privacy. The track 1.5 dialogue will reflect on the EU’s and India’s foreign policy responses to online disinformation while identifying opportunities for EU-India cooperation,” Nurmi added.

The EU and India have on multiple occasions reaffirmed their commitment to an open, free, secure, stable, peaceful and accessible cyberspace that enables economic growth and innovation.

“To promote further cooperation, ESIWA and ORF have jointly hosted a series of track 1.5 dialogues between the EU and India in the format of high-level meetings,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Mindaugas Lasas, Head of Sector – Hybrid Threats at the European External Action Service, said, “Online disinformation and information manipulation is a growing political and security challenge. Given the negative impact it can have on two of the world’s largest democracies, this ESIWA-ORF roundtable comes at an opportune moment to build on EU-India collaboration in cyber security.”

Notably, the first three meetings were held in April 2022, October 2022, and March 2023 in New Delhi on the sidelines of the CyFy and Raisina dialogues.

Moreover, the conclusions of the meetings contributed to the formal EU-India Cybersecurity Dialogues, progressing the discussion on evolving security challenges and building connections between two global security actors, according to the statement.