INTERNATIONAL LEGAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL MECHANISMS FOR COUNTERING DISINFORMATION: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PRACTICES OF UKRAINE AND THE EU

Abstract

Under the current conditions of hybrid warfare against Ukraine, the information front is no less significant than military operations. The aggressors systematically use methods of information warfare aimed at destabilizing Ukrainian society, undermining trust in state institutions, spreading panic, and weakening international support for Ukraine. Disinformation, as one form of informational aggression, is disseminated through controlled media, social networks, bot systems, and anonymous platforms, which significantly complicates its detection and neutralization.Martial law, introduced in accordance with Ukrainian legislation, provides a framework for the temporary restriction of certain rights and freedoms, in particular the right to access information and the freedom of expression. However, such restrictions must be carried out strictly within the limits of the Constitution of Ukraine and Ukraine’s international obligations, adhering to the principles of necessity, proportionality, and legitimacy.In this regard, there is an urgent need to define clear administrative and legal boundaries and state intervention mechanisms in the information sphere that allow for effective counteraction to disinformation without violating democratic standards.The application of organizational and legal instruments in the fight against disinformation includes a range of measures: from blocking information resources and imposing sanctions to regulating media activity and responding to the spread of false information. Nevertheless, numerous challenges arise in practice, including the lack of a unified definition of disinformation, blurred legal criteria for its identification, risks of abuse of power by executive authorities, and violations of freedom of speech. This calls for a detailed legal analysis and doctrinal understanding of the administrative and legal regime of information security during wartime.Therefore, the study of organizational and legal instruments for countering disinformation under martial law is of utmost relevance, as it helps determine the limits of permissible state intervention in the sphere of information rights, develop substantiated approaches to the legal regulation of information security, and prevent violations of fundamental human rights even during periods of crisis.