Pilot4dev | News & Insights | November 2026
How can social media amplify violence, fuel polarisation and turn legitimate social protests into an information battlefield?
In a recent opinion article published by EUalive, Dr Pascaline Gaborit, Director of Pilot4dev and AI4DEBUNK expert, examines how images of violence circulating online can shape public perceptions, deepen political divisions and create opportunities for information manipulation.
Drawing on recent social unrest in France, the article explores the increasingly complex relationship between social mobilisation, digital platforms, disinformation and democratic stability.
When real events become instruments of disinformation
Disinformation does not necessarily rely on fabricated events. Genuine footage of protests, riots or police interventions can be taken out of context, selectively amplified or combined with misleading narratives.
Social media algorithms can reinforce polarisation by exposing audiences to different representations of the same events. While some users predominantly encounter images of police violence, others see footage of destruction, looting and attacks on law enforcement.
Both perspectives may contain authentic information, yet neither necessarily provides a complete picture.
The risks of foreign information manipulation
The article also raises questions about the potential exploitation of social unrest through Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI).
While foreign actors may benefit from growing social divisions, it is essential to distinguish between evidence of coordinated interference and unverified allegations. Protecting democratic debate requires rigorous analysis, independent verification and respect for legitimate protest.
Towards early warning and greater democratic resilience
The article calls for stronger European capabilities to identify and respond to harmful information campaigns before they escalate.
Potential responses include monitoring the rapid spread of inflammatory content, identifying coordinated amplification, detecting calls for violence and strengthening cooperation between researchers, civil society, journalists, cybersecurity specialists and public authorities.
These challenges are closely connected to Pilot4dev's involvement in AI4DEBUNK, a European project developing AI-based tools to help citizens identify disinformation and strengthen digital and media literacy.
The central challenge is to protect democratic freedoms while preventing the manipulation of social tensions and the amplification of violence.
Read the full article
“When Images of Violence Become an Information Battlefield”
By Dr Pascaline Gaborit
Published in EUalive, 22 October 2026
https://eualive.net/when-images-of-violence-become-an-information-battlefield/
Pilot4dev continues to promote research, innovation and European cooperation to counter disinformation, strengthen democratic resilience and support informed public debate.