Berlin (d.de) – The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is funding eleven research projects to combat disinformation on the internet. The aim is to gain a better understanding of how false information spreads and to develop countermeasures, the ministry said.
One particular focus is on artificial intelligence and deepfakes. Planned initiatives include AI-assisted fact-checking, technologies to verify the origin of digital content, and tools to detect manipulated audio and video files. Other projects aim to strengthen young people’s media literacy and analyse disinformation strategies on social networks.
The “ClaimGuard” project is developing an AI-based dialogue system to automatically check texts and images for disinformation. The PADSE project is creating technologies to detect manipulated audio recordings, while PROVAIDE is to enable the origin and spread of information to be traced.
Funding is being provided under the programme “Trust in Democracy and the State: Identifying and Countering Digital Disinformation”. A second round of selections is planned for 2026. Total funding is expected to exceed 40 million euros.
Research Minister Dorothee Bär said that a shared factual basis is essential for a functioning democracy. New forms of deception using AI are accelerating the spread of disinformation.
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