(26 November 2018) – A new Eurobarometer survey published today shows that a majority of EU citizens are worried that disinformation campaigns, data breaches and cyberattacks will interfere with electoral processes.
.The European Commission dedicates its annual Fundamental Rights Colloquium to “Democracy in the EU” at a time when Europeans worry about interference in elections.
The 2018 annual Colloquium on Fundamental Rights is bringing together politicians, researchers, journalists, NGOs and activists to to discuss how to make our democracies more resilient and inclusive, how to support civil society and better safeguard free and fair elections.
What Europeans want ahead of European elections:
• 43 % of the respondents would like to receive more information on the EU and its impact on their daily lives,
• 31 % want more young people standing as candidates.
Today’s figures show that Europeans are worried about interference in the elections:
• 61% worry that elections can be manipulated through cyberattacks,
• 59% worry about foreign actors and criminal groups influencing elections,
• 67% worry that personal data left online could be used to target the political messages they see.