Article from EU vs Disinfo
The main weapons in attacks on democratic societies are no longer tanks or missiles. Foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) has become one of the main security and foreign policy challenges of the 2020s, along with other hybrid threats. Although the term may sound technical, the threat is very concrete: it refers to coordinated efforts by authoritarian regimes to distort public debate, influence elections, and undermine trust in democratic institutions.
This article explains what FIMI is, how it differs from disinformation, how it is used by malicious actors to influence Western societies, and why understanding these operations is essential for democratic sustainability.
What is FIMI?
The European Union (EU) defines FIMI as coordinated and deceptive behavior by foreign actors, designed to manipulate the information environment of another state. In simple terms:
FIMI refers to foreign, hostile, and covert campaigns that aim to shape what people think, believe, or fear, without them being aware of it.
The main elements are:
- Foreign origin: The operation is directed by actors outside the target society, often a state or a state-affiliated organization. Russian military intelligence, Chinese state media networks, or Iranian cyber units fall into this category.
- Manipulation of information space: FIMI campaigns target media, social platforms, communication apps, search engines, and online communities. They combine real content with fabricated stories, misleading narratives, selective information leaks, and emotional triggers.
- Deceptive method: These campaigns rely on fake accounts, bots, front organizations, covert funding, proxy media, inauthentic amplification, and increasingly, artificial intelligence-generated content.
- Purpose for intervention: The goal is not only to spread false information, but to interfere in elections, policy-making processes, public opinion, and social cohesion. FIMI is an instrument of geopolitical competition and hybrid warfare.
FIMI's fight does not aim to limit freedom of expression, but to protect it.
It is important to note that efforts to combat FIMI do not constitute attempts to censor individuals or their personal views. In liberal democracies, every person has the right to have an opinion, even if it is factually incorrect or politically controversial. Concern arises only when there is a coordinated, deceptive and manipulative action of foreign origin, which aims to distort public debate or undermine democratic processes. Addressing FIMI is about the manner – that is, the manipulative tactics and infrastructure used by hostile states – and not the content – that is, the expression of individuals.
How does FIMI differ from disinformation?
Although often used interchangeably in public debate, “disinformation” and FIMI are not the same thing.
From a methodological point of view, FIMI relies primarily on the observation of behavior, and not only of content or narratives.
- Disinformation – It describes false or misleading content that is deliberately created or distributed. It can be produced by anyone: foreign or domestic actors, states, organizations, or individuals.
- FIMI - It describes coordinated and manipulative behavior by foreign actors, who use deceptive methods to interfere in the information environment of another society.
The main difference is:
- Disinformation focuses on content
- FIMI focuses on the actor and his behavior
This means that FIMI campaigns can include true facts presented in a misleading manner, narratives that amplify existing grievances, or content that is not technically false but is amplified through emotional language. FIMI relies on manipulation.
This conceptual shift is important because democratic governments cannot counter these threats through fact-checking alone. They must understand the networks, methods, financing, and strategic goals behind these campaigns.
cONcluSiON
FIMI represents the evolution of modern propaganda – a coordinated and technologically enhanced form of foreign interference that targets the very foundations of democratic societies. While disinformation focuses on the false information itself, FIMI allows us to understand the broader strategy: the networks, intentions, and behaviors behind hostile influence campaigns.
This is a partial translation of an article published by EUvsDISINFO. For editorial reasons, only parts have been selected. The original article can be found here.