Lisbon, June 26, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal features numerous media literacy activities, and the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) reports that legislative measures to combat disinformation are beginning to emerge in the country, having analysed disinformation in the European Union (EU).

"Portugal has almost no legislative measures focused on disinformation, but it has numerous media literacy activities," the report says, adding that "many of the Portuguese disinformation narratives are related to corruption, especially government corruption." However, there are also anti-immigration and anti-refugee narratives.

Despite this, efforts to counter disinformation remain stronger than in most European countries; however, political actors, especially those on the far right, are increasingly using it.

“Radical parties are visible on social media, and André Ventura, leader of the far-right party Chega, can be considered one of the most prominent sources of disinformation,” the document states.

In the case of Portugal, the report also mentions the “Portuguese Charter of Human Rights in the Digital Age”, issued by parliament in May 2021, which establishes the right to protection against disinformation.

In this sense, “the report states that disinformation constitutes one of the most significant challenges to the functioning of democracies in the 21st century”.

The document also identifies that the problem of disinformation intersects with some recent, noteworthy developments: populist and extremist forces are increasing their share of the vote, and trust in the media and state institutions is declining.

"There are indications that disinformation, including large-scale foreign information operations, may indeed contribute to these problems." Therefore, a European approach to disinformation is needed, including platform regulation, media literacy, risk assessment and mitigation, and effective communication strategies.

The report comprises 27 cases from EU Member States, describing how national governments and policymakers address disinformation with the aim of better understanding the types of policy instruments countries commonly use to create a more secure information environment.

PYR // EA

Lusa/Fim