Research into the phenomenon of self - organization of online communities to counter disinformation and manipulation

Abstract

In the conditions of the modern information society, expat communities are becoming important centers for the formation of opinions and attitudes towards various socio - political events. The research object: the phenomenon of spontaneous self - organization of online community. The research purpose: to conduct a comparative ana lysis of homogeneous emigrant communities (primarily from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus) in various European Union countries, allowing to identify external factors influencing the formatio n and development of mechanisms for combating information threats. The results of this research will have a significant potential contribution to the development of social sciences, in particular sociology, communication studies and information security sc ience. By investigating the mechanisms of self - organization, the project will provide the scientific community with new data on how systems of spontaneous social control of information arise and operate without direct state or commercial support. The knowl edge gained will contribute to the development of new theoretical models of community self - organization and can be used to shape integration and information security policies at the national and pan - European levels. This, in turn, will help strengthen demo cratic institutions and increase the resilience of societies to external information threats, which is a priority for the European Union, Lithuania and Ukraine.