Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
Time: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm CET
Main session 2 – Cyber interference with democracy
Cyber interference with democracy” refers to the use of information and communication technologies to manipulate or undermine democratic institutions, processes, or public trust in governance. Elections are at the core of democracy. Interference with elections through malicious cyber activities undermines free, fair and clean elections and trust. It may target computers and data used as well as officials and candidates participating in elections and election campaigns, and involve information operations, the misuse of social media, evading transparency, circumventing rules on elections and political finances, and other activities. Such threats have been experienced in particular since 2014. In 2019, the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY) adopted a Guidance Note on election interference with a focus on criminal law aspects. In 2024/2025, the challenge of cyber interference compromising elections has again come to the forefront in multiple countries. The purpose of this session is to identify:
- the different types of malicious actions and actors involved in cyber interference with democracy;
- the rules and laws that are being violated;
- the measures needed to prevent and respond to such cyber interference in accordance with principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
CDT Featured Speaker:
- Isabel Linzer, Elections and Democracy Fellow