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EU drops sponsorship of disinformation conference after US pressure, sources say

Canada and Lithuania also withdraw backing from #Disinfo2026 in Vilnius

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time1 min
The European Union's diplomatic service and two national governments have withdrawn sponsorship from a leading European disinformation conference after the Trump administration pressed them to do so, the Guardian understands.

The conference, #Disinfo2026, is the annual gathering of Europe's counter-disinformation community, bringing together hundreds of researchers, journalists, technologists and policymakers. It is being held this Wednesday and Thursday at a hotel in Vilnius, Lithuania, and is organised by an independent Brussels non-profit, EU Disinfo Lab.

Days before the event, the logos of its main supporters — the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and Global Affairs Canada — were removed from the conference website. Photos shared with the Guardian also show white stickers affixed over the same logos on printed conference materials, suggesting the sponsors were struck from the programme in haste.

According to the Guardian, Canada and Lithuania, as well as the EEAS, agreed to drop their sponsorship after requests from the Trump administration. Neither the EU nor the national governments have issued public statements on the matter.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The withdrawal highlights the Trump administration's willingness to use diplomatic pressure to influence European counter-disinformation efforts.
  • It raises questions about the independence of European research and policy work on disinformation when US political interests are at stake.
  • The incident could chill future collaboration between American and European researchers and governments in this field.

Background

The #Disinfo conference series has been a central forum for European policymakers, academics and tech companies working to identify and counter false information online. The Trump administration has been critical of government-funded disinformation research, arguing it can infringe on free speech and be used to censor conservative viewpoints. This is not the first time the administration has clashed with European institutions over content moderation and online speech.

Key Perspectives

Trump administration: Sees government backing of disinformation research as a form of political censorship that targets conservative voices and restricts free expression. European counter-disinformation community: Views the sponsorship withdrawals as a setback to efforts that they argue are evidence-based and aimed at protecting democratic processes from foreign interference and harmful falsehoods. Critics of disinformation research: Contend that such programs can be politicised, lack transparency, and may themselves spread misinformation by conflating legitimate debate with harmful falsehoods.

What to Watch

  • Whether other governments or organisations follow suit and withdraw support from European disinformation initiatives.
  • Any official statements from the European External Action Service, the Lithuanian foreign ministry, or Global Affairs Canada explaining their decisions.
  • The response of the EU Disinfo Lab and whether the conference issues a public statement or changes its sponsorship model for future events.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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