Slovak parliamentary election 2020 - Liberalism as a threat, Facebook as a battlefield - Globsec
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Slovak parliamentary election 2020 Liberalism as a threat, Facebook as a battlefield
Slovak parliamentary election 2020: Liberalism as a threat, Facebook as a battlefield GLOBSEC
Table of FB pages with
problematic
content
contents
received
half a million
interactions
More on the page 10
04 Introduction
Who was
06 Key findings accused
of election
08 Recommendations interference?
for Facebook, national
& EU authorities
More on the page 12
10 Whose posts received
the most interactions?
Stories
12 Popular narratives promoting
the far-right
extremist ĽSNS
16 Election interference party were
winning on open FB groups systematically
shared on FB
20 Content amplification pages and
on Facebook groups
22 Role of Facebook
20
in the Elections
18
More on the page
24 Authors and methodology
Facebook
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
measures
were highly
inadequate
More on the page 22
2 3
Slovak parliamentary election 2020: Liberalism as a threat, Facebook as a battlefield GLOBSEC
Online
battlefield
T
he period of election For five months prior to the
campaigning is naturally elections held on February 29,
characterised by fighting. 2020, the analysts from the
Fighting occurring between team of GLOBSEC’s Strategic
political parties, its leaders, Communication Programme
candidates and their supporters, monitored the online information
all of it for gaining more voters space. The monitoring results fall in
and consequent power. While line with a growing global trend of
in an ideal, rational world, the divisive, harmful and manipulative
debate should be focused on narratives being spread on
the programme, solutions and websites and social platforms.
policies, the real world—full of As a result, we are witnessing an
emotions and feelings—is more increasing polarisation, hatred
about accusations, attacks and the against, and attacks on, different
alienation of specific individuals groups of society, mainly the
and groups in society. advocates for liberal principles, the
representatives of standard media
Elections in Slovakia have become and civil society.
strongly influenced by these
fights. Elections in Slovakia thus What had been previously
often become a battlefield in considered as an absurd debate
which many political actors select at the fringes of the political
an (often imaginary) opponent spectrum has now become widely
portrayed as an alleged threat to debated on TV. Liberalism has
the country or nation. The political been labelled as “perverted”,
discourse and electoral campaign “threatening”, “fascist” and
is thus often a survival game of “us “alien to Slovakia”. Flooding the
versus them”. information space with divisive and
harmful narratives undermining the
In the mid-2010s, it was the very basis of democratic systems
supposed threat coming from and values securing fundamental
migration. Earlier, in the 2000s, rights and freedoms has become
it was the Hungarian and Roma the new normal in the 2020
minorities. Today, it is liberalism. Slovak Parliamentary election.
The distribution of forces in the
Building upon a larger newly elected parliament hints
phenomenon of rising illiberalism that these trends will not fade
in the region and beyond, these away, although the recent change
elections have witnessed the of the government provides an
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
phenomenon of antisystem opportunity to revive decency.
narratives taking a firm foothold However, no transformative
in Slovak mainstream political change will be possible without
discourse. FB’s stepping up its efforts.
Facebook (FB) was at the core of
this phenomenon and thus played
an important role in this debate,
allowing the antisystem actors to
flood the information space with
divisive and harmful narratives,
while incapable of securing
the compliance with FB’s own
4 community standards. 5
Slovak parliamentary election 2020: Liberalism as a threat, Facebook as a battlefield GLOBSEC
Key
findings
#1 #4
The rise in support for the
The key target of the attacks
far-right extremist ĽSNS in the
coming from the problematic
sources was “liberalism”.
#3
polls and elections was also
evident on the internet. ĽSNS
#5
An effect of the systematic
was the most-mentioned During the election
promotion of the “liberalism An important role in the pre- party on the most-viral campaigning, FB was not
as a threat” narrative by election campaign was played posts by both standard and capable of securing a unified
the problematic side of the by webpages and FB pages
#2
problematic sources within implementation of rules to
information spectrum is the and groups that promoted the five months of monitoring. increase the transparency
transition of the attempts to the interests of particular of political advertising and
undermine liberal democracy The most popular theme political parties but without compliance with their own
as the most appropriate on open FB groups sharing any official attribution. As community standards.
political system for Slovakia problematic content was the such, they developed an The establishment of an
(with the help of key political warning against potential elaborate web of supporters independent Slovak fact-
officials) into the mainstream election interference. A range and content amplifiers who checker a few weeks prior to
political discourse. of actors were accused of systematically and repeatedly the elections had no effect
alleged interference and thus shared specific narratives. on the amount of problematic
demonised on the platform, content spread on FB.
from NGOs to opinion poll
agencies to media to the so-
called “liberals”.
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
6 7
Slovak parliamentary election 2020: Liberalism as a threat, Facebook as a battlefield GLOBSEC
Recommendations
for Facebook,
national & EU #4
authorities Develop a complaint
system for cases when
social media fail in removal
of content sharing hate
speech, extremism or
targeted bullying of
#1 individuals. The complaints
should be promptly taken
over by relevant state
Create a designated
and EU institutions with
contact/office for each
competences to issue a
EU member state, which
financial penalisation of the
will be responsible for:
social media platform for such
a) communication with
state institutions, delivery
of comprehensive
failures.
#6
databases about political
advertisements, as well as
#3 Provide reasoning behind
any account deletion or
reported and deleted content; Accelerate and increase the post removal to prevent the
b) posting advance notice effectiveness of the removal spread of conspiracies about
of planned modifications to
community standards on #2 of problematic content
reported to Facebook by a
Facebook censorship.
In addition, we fully endorse the
recommendations put forward by the
a specific social medium
in order to consult with Ensure the enforcement
of rules that secure the
verified trusted flagger.
#5 EEAS for the implementation of the
Action Plan Against Disinformation,
relevant authorities about the
transparency of targeted Hire more local experts such as the development of a
proposed modifications prior
ads and thus increase the to oversee the quality of system of indicators determining the
to their implementation.
users’ awareness. At the same content-moderation and trustworthiness of individual websites
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
time, task Facebook with provide data about the in cooperation with media to help
the automatic and regular competency to resolve internet users distinguish between
delivery of information about individual cases to trustful and distrustful content, as well
all paid ads to national independent institutions as the employment of independent
institutions supervising and analysts for auditing auditing of the functioning of
the financing of political purposes. algorithms.
campaigns.
8 9
Standard vs. problematic content GLOBSEC
Who went Total interactions of the most viral content
across the online information space, from
October 2019 to March 2020.1
viral? 1
Five-months monitoring period was divided into three rounds of data
collection- October 1 – November 15, 2019; November 16, 2019 – January 26,
2020 and January 27 – March 2, 2020. For each monitoring period, we analysed
a database of up to 250 entries based on the highest number of interactions
on Facebook. After merging them we arrived at a total number of interactions
for each category.
312,351
FB pages of standard media outlets
Facebook
pages
Websites
539,323
FB pages with problematic
content
407,911 24,539
Websites with problematic content
This is big, my friends! This is a bomb! interactions
WHAT WAS OĽANO’S CAR DOING IN FRONT OF
THE AMERICAN RESIDENCE?
I just received a picture of Trnava self-governing The post with the highest number
region’s car which is under the political control of of interactions belonged to Ľuboš
W
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
OĽaNO... See more
ebsites of standard Blaha, MP for SMER-SD, whose
media have the highest long posts are often based on
reach on FB and “whataboutism” and use belittling, governing region is Jozef Viskupič,
1,238,238
maintain their role of being a key ad hominem attacks. a member of OĽaNO). Based on
source of information with more this parked car, Blaha went as far
than a million overall interactions Standard media websites His most popular post was as to blame the party’s leader, Igor
in five months. The reach of the published just after the election Matovič, of selling out Slovakia to
websites with problematic content and links the parking of the Trnava the Americans and voiced alarmist
amounts only to 30% of the reach self-governing region’s car in expressions such as “there’s a
of standard media. However, the front of the residence of the US real threat that right-wingers will
dynamics is different for FB pages. Ambassador in Bratislava with a change Slovakia to the American
Problematic FB pages receive by supposed US influence on the fifth column.” He continued to
73% more interactions than FB election’s winner, the OĽaNO develop this narrative in a number
10 pages of standard media. party (the head of Trnava’s self- of his post-election posts. 11
Narratives GLOBSEC
Narratives shared across
the information space
45 Mainstream media
websites
40
35
30
Popular
25
20
15
narratives
10
Websites with 5 Mainstream
problematic media FB
content pages
T
he Slovak 2020
Andrej Danko, Former Speaker
Parliamentary election of the Slovak Parliament
was highly anticipated;
many experts and politicians „Let’s make FB pages with Problematic
made parallels to the excitement sure that problematic content groups on FB
and anticipation around the
1998 election marking the end
liberal
of Vladimír Mečiar’s rule in the democracy,
country. The 2020 election, which is
however, took place in a markedly
different environment shaping the
destroying Facebook pages with Liberalism as a threat Election Interference Conspiracies Oligarchs
our beloved
electoral campaign and public
discourse by promoting narratives Slovakia,
problematic content member of ĽSNS, Nov 13, 2019 FB page with more than 37,000 likes,
Oct 29, 2019
outlet with problematic content,
Feb 26, 2020
MP for SMER-SD, Oct 30, 2019 about
the Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová
undermining democratic processes
and institutions. These narratives won’t win.“ share most of the “A very important “There is no worse “American interference “Oligarch’s rag from the
election is ahead of us election interference into Slovak elections? presidential palace”
were almost exclusively used in polarising narratives now, in which it will than the manipulation Facebook three days
the problematic spectrum of the inserted into the mainstream be decided whether of public opinion ahead of the election
information space, i.e. FB pages discourse and contributes to in the infospace. Slovakia will be through polls.” cancelled Kulturblog
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
MP for SMER-SD, Oct 30, 2019
and open groups with problematic demonising liberal parties in the controlled by liberal and other pages, which
content specifically. Slovak political landscape, as well extremists… whether are allegedly linked to
as to blocking laws and legislation in 10 – 15 years we ĽSNS” “Opinion poll surveys
outlet with problematic content,
The primary target of the attacks seeking to guarantee human will have a hoard of Oct 16, 2019 are not a human
migrants, LGBT and right but a means
was liberalism and the liberal- rights and freedoms in Slovakia. A
“Facebook censors of manipulation by
democratic system. The narrative classic example of this narrative’s gender ideology here“ candidate for Vlasť, Feb 15, 2020
the page of Slobodný oligarchs.”
that liberalism poses an “existential effect is influential public figures
vysielač (Free
threat” has been systematically challenging the notion of liberal Broadcaster). We “AKO [polling] agency
promoted on the problematic democracy as the most suitable candidate for Vlasť, Nov 21, 2019
suddenly became got ultraliberal
spectrum of the information political system for the Slovak invisible to people. Get Čaputová into the palace
space, particularly since the Republic. “Kotleba3 is not my ready everyone who through the opinion
presidential election in 20192. enemy. My enemies are is warning against the polls. Now they are
Ever since then, this antisystem 2
https://www.globsec.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/
ultraliberal perverts.” election interference!” trying in it again”
12 Marian Kotleba is a leader of the far-right extremist
13
3
narrative has been successfully Presidential-Election-Monitoring-report-SK.pdf
ĽSNS party
Narratives GLOBSEC
Inciting fear of liberals and
media on Facebook pages
Liberalism as a threat
A surprisingly large scale of motherhood.” (MP for SMER-SD,
elements characterising liberal Nov 11, 2019), or “The common
democracy4 were under attack, goal of our parties is to stop the
Ultraliberal democracy: This is how progressive liberals teach sexual
from the respect for the rights rise of liberal totality and protect
education for 9-year old kids. So, if a boy has a willy, he can be a
Election
and freedoms of all, including traditional values and Slovak woman, no problem. According to progressives. Now imagine that
minorities, to undermining the homeland also for our children” liberals would win elections in Slovakia. [sent by Miška].
rule-of-law and the functioning of (member of ĽSNS, Nov 13, 2019). In
a representative system through both cases, liberalism is portrayed
elections. as a totalitarian ideology which is
in conflict with human nature.
interference
Narratives, such as the one Another efficient form of
claiming that liberalism is a discrediting liberalism as a
“foreign”’ ideology artificially legitimate part of the political
implanted to destroy “traditional spectrum is associating liberalism
Slovak society” and, as such, with sexual deviations and the
needs to be perceived as an targeted portrayal of sexual
dominant
existential threat, have been minorities as embodiments of
systematically promoted through these depravities. Liberalism is
the problematic spectrum of the allegedly not advancing equality
Slovak information space and have for discriminated individuals but
seeped into mainstream political for the perverted normalisation
discourse. This narrative echoes of sexual deviances with the goal Post by Informácie bez cenzúry (Information without Censorship) Page
on FB groups
the Kremlin’s internal and external of destroying “traditional Slovak which attempts to portray liberalism as sexual perversion. It was shared
political strategy to portray “liberal society”. over 2,300 times.
machinery” as the new enemy,
apparent since 20115.
4
Defined as a “democracy based on the recognition of
In the first half of November, 2019, individual rights and freedoms, in which decisions from
direct or representative processes prevail in many policy
posts containing expressions such areas” in https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/
as “Today, Čaputová definitely english/liberal-democracy or “A democratic system of
government in which individual rights and freedoms are
confirmed that she is a neoliberal officially recognized and protected, and the exercise of
O
political power is limited by the rule of law.” in https://
extremist, which should be tried www.lexico.com/definition/liberal_democracy. pen FB groups represent warned against possible election
for scorning the people and 5
T. Snyder, Cesta do Neslobody, p.100 (Premedia, 2018) a special monitoring interference.
category since they serve
as an accessible space for FB users Suggesting that the electoral
to create and share content with process in Slovakia is manipulated
like-minded users. Therefore, a and cannot be trusted has
first-hand observation of how the similarly been deployed to exploit
so-called “echo chambers”, i.e., an existing vulnerability – an
Mainstream media that cannot be trusted opinion bubbles which users seek already low level of trust by Slovak
out to confirm their own world citizens in democratic institutions7,
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
The role of the media in Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico’s views, are formed and function is strengthened by the killings of the
democratic society continued quote, in which he described Vlasť party candidate, Dec 18, 2019 possible in these groups. Since the investigative journalist Ján Kuciak
to be attacked and undermined journalists as “filthy anti-Slovak content of these posts is created and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová,
as well. The private “liberal prostitutes”6. Reminiscent of “Corrupted political elite and politically by users themselves, FB groups in February 2018. This narrative
media” allegedly controlled by Donald Trump’s treatment of controlled and appointed judges and are also a hub for personal attacks has been actively promoted since
oligarchs and large financial reporters and journalists, attacking prosecutors are trying to change our homeland on politicians, emotional and even the 2019 presidential election and
groups were also portrayed on the journalists in Slovakia represents to dictatorship and totality. And they are aggressive expressions, as well as was built upon during the electoral
mushrooming number of web and a systematic effort to delegitimise efficiently assisted by the oligarchs-bought hateful and divisive narratives. The campaign prior to the 2020
FB pages with problematic content factual information without which liberal press. They do it gradually, in a stealthy trending theme of monitored open parliamentary election.
as untrustworthy, working for the no liberal democracy based on the FB groups were the accusations
and creepy way. Step by step. They think we are
interest of the elite and against rule-of-law can properly function. by individuals or larger groups
frogs which can be boiled without us noticing.
“the people”. This concerted attack of Slovak society about election
But we will not accept it!”
on journalism is a long-term trend interference. Of all analysed 7
https://www.noviny.sk/slovensko/510799-slovaci-
6
https://medialne.etrend.sk/tlac/fico-niektori-novinari-
14 15
neveria-svojim-instituciam-dovera-v-policiu-je-u-nas-
in Slovakia, epitomised in former su-spinave-protislovenske-prostitutky.html posts on open FB groups, 20% dokonca-najmensia-z-celej-eu
Content in Facebook groups GLOBSEC
Who allegedly interferes 3.
in the election? Oligarchs controlling everything
A typical example of linking various defamation.13 In February 2020, a
actors with the aim of portraying court ordered Mr. Blaha to delete
them as conspiring in the electoral all his FB posts and videos that October 19, 2020
1.
process is the case of a world- mentioned ESET. Už mal sedieť v base. Odporný,
known Slovak IT security company, úlisný, falošný, úžernícky ksicht.
Samozrejme, všetku tú liberálnu
ESET, whose key representatives Below is a typical example of zberbu kisku, trubana, skládku
openly support political parties hate speech and ad hominem a ďalších platí pakáž eset.
ovplyvňuje voľby a spolupracuje
and projects fostering liberal attacks shared on FB groups. Even
Opinion poll agencies democracy in Slovakia. Andrej Kiska, the former President
so zahraničnými tajnými službami.
A potĺka sa tu grázel nicholson. Je
and leader of party the Za ľudí fakt že ten hnoj riadne zostarol.
A operácia nejakéh toho jeho
An important theme discussed in Slovak Republic ruled that the from the President of Slovakia One of the common and malign (For People), was accused of z.aného srdca, ktoré mu nejako
relation to election interference law would not be applicable in to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, stories was that the company collaborating with ESET. “He was náhodne našli...myslím že dlho
January 8, 2020 nepotiahne.
was the attempt to ban public the upcoming parliamentary was accused of supporting providing malware and antivirus meant to sit in prison a long time
opinion polls on political elections, the Court has yet to or contributing to the alleged Public opinion poll agency Focus protection software supposedly ago. Repugnant, slimy, deceitful,
linked to the president’s advisor
preferences 50 days ahead of the take a final decision on whether election interference. and an attempt to manipulate
established a backdoor into usury face. Of course, all that
election. The former ruling party, the moratorium is unconstitutional elections? What do Čaputová, the computers of the election liberal trash Kiska, Truban, dump
SMER – SD, in tandem with the and violates citizens’ rights to Bútorová and Focus have in committee which it could later and others are paid by the vermin
common?
far-right extremist party, Kotleba – information8. The argument that 8
https://domov.sme.sk/c/22286688/50-dnove- use to manipulate the results in ESET. It interferes in the election
moratorium-zatial-nebude-rozhodol-ustavny-sud.html
ĽSNS (People’s Party Our Slovakia), the publication of these polls favour of liberal political parties. and cooperates with foreign secret Former President Kiska: Secret meeting with the owner of ESET
Ordinary meeting or is he looking for sponsors?
passed a law forbidding the represents the manipulation of This narrative was disseminated, services. And the roughneck 148 125 Comments 65 Shares
publication of public opinion polls elections from abroad was based among others, also by SMER-SD’s Nicholson is roaming around. It’s
50 days ahead of the election, on the premise that opinion poll Ľuboš Blaha, claiming, for example, a fact that the dung has aged a
supposedly in order to prevent agencies themselves, or those who that “ESET could be influencing lot. And surgery of somebody’s 10
https://www.facebook.com/LBlaha/
posts/2542483942656836
the spread of false information. order these polls, are paid from the elections”10 that “we can calmly f****d heart, which they found on 11
https://www.facebook.com/LBlaha/
posts/2543479642557266
This law was subsequently foreign sources. Subsequently, and expertly speak about the ESET him somehow… I think he won’t 12
https://www.facebook.com/LBlaha/
challenged by President Čaputová everyone who was not in favour as about oligarchs”11 and that “the last long” (user’s post from 19th posts/2543479642557266
13
https://domov.sme.sk/c/22162363/esetu-dosla-
as unconstitutional. While the of the ban and later not in favour company ESET was labelled by October 2019)14 trpezlivost-na-blahu-podal-zalobu.html
163 98 Comments 60 Shares
14
The “dump” in the post refers to current Slovak
Constitutional Court of the of the moratorium’s cancellation, Russian MFA as linked to American President, Mrs Čaputová. Prior to her political career,
as an advocate she fought against illegal dumping
secret services”12. of wastage in Pezinok, for which she was awarded
the Goldman Environmental Prize. In the antisystem
communities, this achievement is often used against her.
2.
ESET vehemently denied such
accusations and launched a legal
proceeding against Blaha for
NGOs
Other identified culprits of this repeated theme not only ahead
alleged interference were meant of the election. Cases when an Alarmist messaging
to be NGOs, which by way of NGO comments on the electoral January 19, 2020
receiving grants from abroad process or starts an initiative to I recommend watching this… Election interference posts in
supposedly act on behalf of vague, increase voter turnout often elicit open FB groups were often of
foreign (typically U.S.) interests. It a reaction in the form of attacks an alarming character aiming to October 19, 2020
thus serves two purposes: first, it against the organisation and its mobilise and influence voters.
demonises an important watchdog key representatives. Warning! We urgently
demand the Statistical
of democracy, i.e. civil society and One of the most popular posts Office exclude ESSET, at
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
second, it portrays a NATO ally, i.e., NGOs “WE WILL DECIDE” the elections shared in a number of groups, election control, attention
9
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/11/
WE WILL DECIDE” will not allow themes such as nation, homeland, family...
fraud and manipulation,
the U.S.A., as an enemy. russia-four-years-of-putins-foreign-agents-law-to- 15 4 Comments 291 Shares
was a post about the ESET just like at presidential
shackle-and-silence-ngos/ company originally published election!15
A law which stipulates that NGOs on a FB group called, I vote for
141 18 Comments 1,089 Shares
receiving grants from abroad User’s post suggesting a Harabin, by a person with a closed
need to register as foreign agents conspiracy of election interference account. The original post had
was passed in Russia already in of the Slovak branch of the Open 1119 shares and was reshared into 15
ESET is a successful Slovak software company
whose antivirus products are sold worldwide. The post
2012 in an effort to demonise and Society Foundation, a network different groups (such as I don’t suggests that somehow this company is conspiring
prosecute civil society. Similar laws of NGOs originally founded by trust ex-president Kiska, nor I to manipulate the elections and the double use of
the letter ‘s’ in the post is deliberately used to refer to
were proposed in Central Europe. George Soros. trust president Čaputová or FOR the infamous Adolf Hitler’s paramilitary organisation,
Schutzstaffel.
SLOVAK SOVEREIGNTY, AGAINST
Financing of NGOs from abroad NATO BASES) 35 times and overall,
that is interpreted as foreign its message reached over 64,000
16 interference has been an often- people. 17
Content amplification on Facebook
88 GLOBSEC
Content
amplification unique users were exposed to this Magazín 1 article
on Facebook 1800
The majority of the parties
campaigned via their official
verified FB pages, supported with
public accounts and pages of the
party representatives.
Magazín 1 articles contained
positive reference to the ĽSNS
party.
Another example of using FB for
content amplification were open
to assess whether the active users
are true supporters or trolls.
Such interconnected ecosystems
allowed the parties to spread
the same message and articles
pages and open groups. In this
article, it is possible to observe the
tactic of information-laundering
and an attempt to reinstate the
party’s own narrative by resharing
the article multiple times within
However, different strategies were FB groups, characterised mostly by effectively throughout the the three-month timeframe.
See how a Magazín 1 story promoting adopted by Kotleba’s ĽSNS that
steadily developed an ecosystem
titles associated with nationalism,
traditional values or anti-liberalism.
observed time period and to
amplify their narratives to various The article also includes a
the extremist ĽSNS was shared 1600
consisting of a wide variety While the groups serve as a users at different locations and at reference to a recording of
of FB pages, open and closed platform for the users to act as different times. Kotleba’s speech from one of the
groups. This network was further content contributors, we spotted town rally meetings of ĽSNS with
Magazín 1, January 17, 2020
supported by older or freshly a large number of dedicated users An exemplary case of efforts to more than 800,000 views on
established outlets, posing as re-sharing the same content on frame the discussion and push FB. This demonstrates another
1400
neutral news websites with names multiple groups in order to amplify through a specific narrative about effective example of content
such as Magazín 1 (Magazine 1) or their reach and message. Except the far-right party was an article amplification.
Prehľad Správ (News Overview) for sharing specific narratives, the “Calling Kotleba fascist shows
FB page that were not openly associated Vlasť (Homeland) party, with its little expertise and naive faith in Web and FB pages which
with the party. Investigative leader Štefan Harabin, a former stupidity” that reacted to anti- promoted the interests of the party
1200 journalists, however, revealed the judge, head of the Supreme Court extremist activities of civil society without official attribution played
Marian Kotleba –
direct connections and influence of the Slovak Republic, Minister and some political representatives an important role in the electoral
candidate for the
President of the of these and other similar outlets of Justice, and an unsuccessful in Slovakia. The article had more campaign. All in all, the article
Calling Kotleba fascist shows Slovak Republic to the ĽSNS party. While openly candidate in 2019’s presidential than 20,000 FB interactions and reached more than 146,000 unique
promoting the ĽSNS party and elections, enjoyed the highest was one of the most-viral articles FB users.
little expertise and naive faith 1000 its narratives, articles from these support in these groups. 45% of within the whole monitoring
in stupidity outlets were also systematically all positive party mentions on FB period.
shared by the ecosystem of FB groups belonged to Vlasť, double
pages affiliated with the party. 76% that of ĽSNS. Due to the privacy During January and February
of monitored election-related restrictions, however, it is difficult of 2020, it was shared on 46 FB
800
FB page
600
Mário Vidák - Blog
FB page
FB group
400
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Kotleba – People’s
Referendum about Party Our Slovakia,
removing Zuzana Žilina and Bytča
Čaputová from regions
the Office of the
President of the 200
Slovak Republic
Jan 17, 2020 Jan 18, 2020 Jan 22, 2020 Feb 15, 2020 Feb 16, 2020 Feb 17, 2020 Feb 20, 2020
18 19Role of Facebook GLOBSEC
Blocking of FB pages
A visible attempt by FB to enforce helped to promote the ĽSNS setting up new ones. Instead of
its transparency measures and party without any official party Kulturblog, a new page, Portál
remove the content breaching attribution. Until the pages Kulturblog with more than 11,000
them was the blockage of several admitted the party attribution, fans was running in March. This
FB pages associated with ĽSNS they would stay removed, claimed page was set up on the same day
party. On February 26, 2020, FB FB.17 None of the mentioned pages FB decided to remove the original
blocked seven pages, including were running until the publication KulturBlog. Magazín 1 runs under
two pages of Kulturblog and the of this report. the name Svet Politiky (World of
pages of Magazín 1 and Prehlad Politics). Neither of these pages
Správ. The removed pages’ response, admit their direct relationship with
Role
however, was the creation of ĽSNS. FB was thus repeatedly not
The decision was based on FB’s their own alternatives, either by able to secure compliance with
conclusion that these pages renaming existing pages, or by their own rules and transparency
measures.
of Facebook in
https://dennikn.sk/1773184/facebook-zrusil-kulturblog-
17
a-dalsie-stranky-ktore-pomahali-kotlebovcom-v-
kampani/
the elections The reporting of problematic
content breaching FB rules and
the reasons behind the decisions
to remove (or not) individual FB
pages or posts are not transparent.
supposed Hungarian and Jewish
origin. The post has been reported
several times without any result.
The reporting of fake accounts or
bots on FB is similarly problematic
Slovak daily, Denník N (Daily N)
published an article with evidence
of reporting 74 fake accounts
and FB’s subsequent reaction in
taking down only seven18. On the
A user reporting problematic and the accounts concerned can other hand, some FB pages and
content to FB administrators freely continue to shape public accounts have been removed
Large amount Fact-checking
usually only receives a generic discourse, creating the impression without a clear explanation.
message about the reported of a strong support base for a
content not breaching FB candidate, party or a cause, as
of problematic in practice community standards. This
includes cases of online bullying
or hate speech based on an
well as amplifying specific content.
Already, in November 2017, the
https://dennikn.sk/941955/upozornili-sme-facebook-
18
na-vyse-70-falosnych-profilov-reakcia-adminov-bola-
velmi-zla/
content The fact-checker is supposed
to identify false news and
disinformation that should
ball above a railroad track, and the
second a false map of an alleged
concentration of sulfur dioxide
alleged or factual ethnic identity or
belonging to a particular opinion
group.
T
he data shows that extent, on independent fact- subsequently be less visible on above the Chinese city of Wuhan,
the largest amount checkers. A Slovak fact-checker users’ FB News Feeds. These are where the outbreak of COVID-19 An example of such reported
of disinformation and was established only a few weeks collected on a dedicated AFP originated. Given the extensive content is a video from the FB
problematic content in Slovakia prior to the election. French website for Slovakia fakty.afp. amount of harmful and malign page, Planéta Jednoduchosť
is spread on FB. The platform Press Agency (AFP) has been com listing the examples of posts content, attacks and conspiracies (Planet Simplicity), entitled,
blbec.online currently monitors assigned as a responsible entity shared on Slovak FB labelled that have been shared on the “Problems of a Hungarian Jew”,
over 1550 FB pages and groups, for fact-checking in Slovakia and as false. One month after the platform prior to the 2020 aiming to defame the Slovak
most of which spread problematic has only one Slovak-speaking February 11, 2020 launch of the parliamentary election, the gravity journalist, Arpad Soltesz, for his
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
or manipulative content.16 Many person dedicated for this role for service, the page had only two and destructive potential of these
of the pages do have official a country with around 2.7 million examples of false information two cases is questionable. Our
attribution to political parties, active users. We consider this identified by AFP’s fact-checker. understanding after a consultation
however, this does not mean that measure as highly inadequate. with AFP suggested that the
the rest of the pages’ sponsors The first example contained an establishment of an official Lack of transparency
are not involved in shaping the image of a supposed lightning fact-checker in Slovakia was not
political discourse. 16
Current database of Blbec.online portal includes and meant as an attempt to improve Inadequate implementation of political party, while data in FB’s Ad about paid content of some pages
monitors 1,825 FB pages and groups. The amount of
1,550 does not include FB pages labelled as politicians/
the quality of content prior to the FB’s own rules, originally aiming Library showed them as sponsored was suddenly removed.19
FB’s activities and efforts to public sector/political parties and state institutions. elections. On the contrary, the date at greater transparency, can be posts. Moreover, despite the fact
block the spread of hoaxes, of establishing the fact-checker observed in relation to the system that the information about the 19
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/
disinformation and other had probably nothing to do with of FB Ads and sponsored content. paid ads should be kept in the rorysmith/the-uk-election-showed-just-how-
unreliable-facebooks
problematic content breaching the pre-election period. We identified several cases of FB Library for seven years, there
the platform’s community sponsored posts lacking necessary were several instances identified
20 standards depends, to a large disclaimers about the sponsor or by researchers when information 21Slovak parliamentary election 2020: Liberalism as a threat, Facebook as a battlefield GLOBSEC
www.globsec.org
Authors Methodology
Special thanks to Tomáš Forgon Monitoring covers the period figures” and pages listed under Mainstream media cannot
for his help with data analysis and between October 1, 2019 to March no category. Second and third be trusted – a narrative which
development of methodology. 2,2020 divided into three phases: monitoring phases corresponds challenges the trustworthiness
Information beyond the analysis of to pages listed in the database of standard mainstream media
Katarína Klingová the monitoring periods is valid to I. October 1, 2019 – November 15, on January 31, 2020 and the first through claims suggesting an
March 11, 2020. 2019 monitoring corresponds to pages alleged bias and obedience to
Senior Research Fellow
II. November 16, 2019 – January listed there on September 30, political, financial and business
GLOBSEC and the National 26, 2020 2019. elites and interests.
Endowment for Democracy III. January 27, 2020 – March 2,
assume no responsibility for facts 2020 ● 39 open groups on FB, Moratorium – a narrative about a
or opinions expressed in this identified through shares of the legislative proposal banning public
publication or their subsequent The monitoring covers five most-viral articles published by 52 opinion polls on voting preferences
use. Sole responsibility lies with databases consisting of 904 webpages producing problematic 50 days ahead of the Slovak
the authors of this publication. sources: content. Parliamentary Elections.
Miroslava Sawiris
Research Fellow All examples of the posts included 95 most-often visited web and The content of the databases was Oligarchy – a narrative about
in this report are word-by-word news portals according to the further filtered through different influential business and financial
transcripts or screenshots of real list on medialne.trend.sk. Pages forms of the word “elections” groups or members of these
existing posts translated to English which are included on konspiratori. in Slovak and a total amount of groups, which considerably
from Slovak. Authors by no means sk were excluded from this list as interactions on FB. Content was interfere into political processes
agree with or subscribe under the purpose of this database is analysed on 30 posts with the and policy agendas in Slovakia.
these claims. to monitor content not deemed highest number of interactions for
problematic by the expert each database in each monitoring Election Interference
This publication and research community. Pages that do not phase, whereas the outreach was – a narrative that challenges
Dominika Hajdu was supported by the National produce original content were also generated from maximum 250 the legitimacy of the electoral
Research Fellow Endowment for Democracy. excluded. most-viral posts for each category campaign and the elections as
and monitoring phase. such suggesting some kind of
© GLOBSEC 2020 92 FB pages of web and news interference into the electoral
portals. The generation of lists was carried processes by foreign powers,
out three days after the last day NGOs or through publishing public
52 web pages which regularly of monitoring to ensure that the opinion polls of voting preferences.
produce problematic (unreliable, evaluated content had stable
deceitful or propagandistic) numbers of interactions. Used metrics
content20. This category also
Richard Kuchta
includes web pages which often Data was collected via monitoring Number of interactions – a sum
Project Coordinator
imitate legitimate news outlets tools NewsWhip and CrowdTangle. of all emoticons, commentaries
and journalism visually, whilst and shares which a post generated
their content does not meet the within a given time period.
Strategic Communication standards of quality journalism Categorisation of the most
Programme such as accuracy, using verified important topics monitored Total number of interactions
sources or preventing the – a sum of all interactions for each
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
Slovak parliamentary election 2020
GLOBSEC Policy Institute distortion of facts and context. Liberalism as a threat post in a given time period.
This list primarily relies on sources – a narrative in which concept of
from the database on konspiratori. liberalism and liberal democracy Average number of interactions
sk (valid on October 1, 2019) and as a political system based on the – sum of all interactions divided
is supplemented by the most-viral protection and empowerment of by a number of posts in certain
sources from the database on personal freedom and individual category within a given time
blbec.online of which pages on FB rights21 is presented as a threat period.
have a web equivalent. or danger to state, society,
Creative concept “traditional values”, etc. The
& design 626 FB pages included in the concept is often stripped of its
20
This definition is taken from the initiative
database blbec.online as active original meaning and portrayed as konšpirátori.sk
pages producing content in Slovak, a vague threat without stating the 21
Definition according to Encyclopaedia Britannica:
except for pages included in the reasons behind the alleged risk. https://www.britannica.com/topic/liberalism
22 category “Politicians / public 23www.globsec.org Slovak parliamentary election 2020 24 © 2020 GLOBSEC Policy Institute
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