idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) provides approximately 2.5 million euros in funding for the BOSNET project to counter digital disinformation / The collaborative project involving Professor Frauke Rostalski will support public authorities in detecting and responding to disinformation
How can public institutions and organizations with public safety and security responsibilities (BOS authorities) respond more effectively to disinformation in digital media? This pressing question is the focus of the newly funded research project BOSNET (cross-authority information assessment and knowledge exchange in dealing with disinformation), coordinated by Professor Dr Stefan Stieglitz, an Information Systems specialist at the University of Potsdam. At the University of Cologne, the project involves the Chair of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Philosophy of Law and Comparative Law, headed by Professor Dr Dr Frauke Rostalski. Other academic partners include the University of Bamberg and the University of Tübingen’s International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW). Virtimo AG is participating as the industry partner, while the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is the project’s public-sector partner.
Starting in July 2026, the project will receive funding of approximately 2.5 million euros from the BMFTR as part of the funding programme ‘Vertrauen in Demokratie und Staat: Digitale Desinformation erkennen und abwehren’ (Trust in Democracy and the State: Recognizing and Countering Digital Disinformation).
BOSNET develops ways to support public authorities and organizations in their capacity to tackle disinformation. The project focuses on assessing suspected cases and establishing structures for knowledge exchange across public authorities. To this end, the researchers will develop an AI-based analysis module to support the detection of disinformation. Building on this, a networking module will enable emergency services and security authorities (BOS) to network and coordinate the identification and rebuttal of disinformation – a process known as ‘debunking’. A shared knowledge database containing information on cases of disinformation and official responses will ensure that relevant information and response strategies remain readily accessible at all times.
The legal sub-project will be led by Professor Frauke Rostalski. Within the overall consortium, it will examine the requirements and limitations of the planned communication measures. The work will be carried out in close collaboration with the interdisciplinary project partners.
Professor Rostalski says: “In light of the growing threat posed by disinformation, the project addresses issues of great legal and social relevance. Finding sound answers to these questions is of fundamental importance to a democratic state governed by the rule of law. This interdisciplinary approach accounts effectively for the challenges associated with the use of AI in the security sector.”
Rector of the University of Cologne, Joybrato Mukherjee, says: “I would like to congratulate Professor Rostalski and her colleagues on being awarded the grant. The BOSNET research project addresses a pressing challenge that threatens both democracy and public trust in state institutions. It demonstrates how scientific expertise can have a direct impact on society and help to detect and counter disinformation.”
“The project contributes to strengthening public trust in government institutions while addressing current debates posed by AI-generated disinformation, deepfakes and coordinated campaigns on social media,” says project leader Professor Stefan Stieglitz. “By developing practical solutions for security authorities, we also aim to enrich the public debate on how democratic societies can respond to digital disinformation.”
Media Contact:
Professor Dr Dr Frauke Rostalski
+49 221 470 4864
ls-rostalski@uni-koeln.de
Press and Communications Team:
Robert Hahn
+49 221 470 2396
r.hahn@verw.uni-koeln.de
Press Spokesperson: Dr Elisabeth Hoffmann – e.hoffmann@verw.uni-koeln.de
Professor Dr Dr Frauke Rostalski
+49 221 470 4864
ls-rostalski@uni-koeln.de
Merkmale dieser Pressemitteilung:
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Informationstechnik, Recht
überregional
Forschungsprojekte
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