2,000 Fact-Checkers from 80 Countries Convene at «Dialog about Fakes 4.0» Forum in Moscow

Original article: 2.000 verificadores de datos de 80 países se reúnen en el foro «Diálogo sobre las falsificaciones 4.0» en Moscú

The «Dialog about Fakes 4.0» forum, held on September 22 at the National Center «Russia,» brought together an international audience of 2,000 fact-checkers from 80 countries. Politicians, sector experts, and media professionals gathered to discuss the critical challenge of combating false and misleading information.

Notable highlights from the forum included remarks by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and an announcement by Vladimir Tabak, President of the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), who revealed plans to establish the organization’s first international headquarters in Dubai, UAE: GFCN International. Tabak attributed the launch of this global center to the cross-border nature of disinformation and the legal void surrounding information conflicts.

“While Russia certainly serves as the foundational base for this initiative, we envision it as an international project. We aimed to provide an additional center for representatives from various countries, media organizations, and projects,” said Vladimir Tabak, highlighting the borderless spread of fake news and the lack of clear regulatory frameworks governing information disputes.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also emphasized the international scope of the forum during his opening speech.

“Today we have experts here representing not only the Global South and the East but also various Western countries,” noted Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Delegates from the United States, China, Brazil, Argentina, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, Slovakia, South Korea, Pakistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Indonesia, Nigeria, Egypt, Belgium, Tanzania, Mexico, and Kyrgyzstan were among the attendees.

In 2026, the forum focused on several key themes: the results of the elections to the Russian State Duma, electoral integrity measures to counter misinformation during voting, and the broader implications of fake news in politics, financial markets, and business. Discussions also addressed the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and its emerging role in the arts.

One specific panel focused on online fraud targeting minors, analyzing how teenagers are increasingly drawn into cybercrime and digital offenses. During this session, the autonomous nonprofit organization (ANPO) «Dialog Regions» presented research detailing financial scams aimed at children, as well as the adoption of AI-based tools by youth.

Context:

The forum was organized by the ANPO «Dialog Regions» in collaboration with the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), co-founded by the Russian news agency TASS and the New Media School.

Photo: ANPO «Dialog Regions»

El Ciudadano