By Alyssa McIntyre, Aspen Institute Germany.
Disinformation poses a profound threat to democracies by eroding trust in institutions, polarising societies, and undermining informed public debate. Social media influencers, trusted by millions and adept at shaping narratives, have profoundly transformed the way information is accessed and interpreted. Far beyond the realms of entertainment and marketing, influencers and content creators have emerged as influential actors within the information ecosystem, wielding audience trust, expansive reach, and growing agenda-setting power. Unfortunately, their credibility and trust with their audiences also make them a potential target for manipulation. This was seen in the recent 2024/2025 Romanian Presidential Election, which was eventually annulled by the Constitutional Court due to social media influence operations which were ruled to have interfered with the election result. As our democracies are increasingly being targeted by malicious actors through disinformation, we must do more to empower allies to safeguard democratic discourse in the digital age.
The 2-year project #InfluencersAgainstDisinfo, led by Aspen Institute Germany, addresses precisely this challenge by turning to one of the most influential forces in today’s media environment: social media influencers and content creators. Across 2024 and 2025, Aspen Germany has brought together two cohorts of 15 social media influencers and content creators from Central and Eastern Europe with a total reach of 4.2 million to provide them with opportunities to engage with stakeholders such as elected members of parliament, social media platforms, fact-checkers, and traditional media to gain insights from their expertise on the topic. The project also provides a space where social media influencers and content creators can share their experiences and insights on disinformation and social media with policymakers to improve the policymaking process on this issue.
The project emphasises reflection, ethical grounding, and cross-sector dialogue through activities such as study trips, online workshops, debates and drafting an ethical code of conduct. During these exchanges, the participants are given the time and space to reflect upon their own position of influence, the responsibility that comes with it, and how ethics and principles can guide them to navigate the complexities of information integrity with greater confidence while acting to strengthen a stronger, more resilient online democratic environment.
Two publications are also being produced during the course of the project: a Collective Study (soon to be released) and an Ethical Code of Conduct. The Ethical Code of Conduct for Social Media Influencers and Content Creators was created by the social media influencer participants, for social media influencers, to provide them with key ethical principles that should guide their practice. The resource also enables the general public to keep online opinion leaders accountable for the content they create and its potential repercussions.
The Code focuses on five key ethical pillars to guide online behaviour. Each pillar is accompanied by a definition appropriate for social media influencers and content creators, as well as three commitment points to support operationalisation of the pillars. The five pillars include:
- Responsibility and Accountability
- Trustworthiness and Integrity
- Factuality and Expertise
- Respect
- Information Quality and Media Literacy
As the project nears its conclusion, several exciting activities still lie ahead. The 2025 cohort will participate in final online sessions featuring expert panels that explore how disinformation narratives can infiltrate European institutions, as well as a reflective look back on their experiences and their takeaways from the project. In December 2025, Aspen Germany will also publish a collective study comprising five papers on diverse dimensions of disinformation, available soon on the Aspen Germany website.
Alyssa McIntyre, Digital Program Officer, Aspen Institute Germany.
Alyssa McIntyre is currently a Program Officer in the Digital Program at the Aspen Institute Germany. She works on digital related policy and how digitalisation impacts on society and communities. Currently she is working on projects relating to the security implications of AI as well as disinformation on social media and the role of influencers and content creators
