Almost half of Lithuania’s population (49%) often encounters disinformation, according to a joint study on disinformation in Lithuania commissioned by the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission (LRTK). According to the researchers, social media – which often functions as a separate ecosystem that promotes polarization, hatred and distrust in institutions – is one of the main sources of disinformation.

“The main sources from which people say they receive most of their news are television, Lithuanian TV channels, news portals, and social media. These are the three main pillars on which the dissemination of information in Lithuania rests,” said Ignas Zokas, head of Spinter Research, at a press conference on Monday.

Telegram is the main platform for spreading Kremlin narratives

According to the results of the joint study, the social media platform Telegram is the main channel for spreading Kremlin narratives. The study notes that of the more than 19,000 posts analysed on the platform, 54.6% were pro-Russian and 43.6% were anti-Ukrainian.

Meanwhile, Facebook – the social media platform most often used as a source of news – is becoming a driver of emotional polarization, fueling identity conflicts and group antagonism, according to the study.

“These social networks function as a kind of ecosystem, complementing each other so that messages and ideas useful to the Kremlin are reinforced and amplified,” said LRTK Chairman Mantas Martišius at the press conference.

“Of course, most disinformation can be found on Telegram. Most polarization, division and content sharing take place on Facebook, while YouTube often provides certain narratives with a kind of legitimacy. Meanwhile, the most emotional engagement and the strongest reactions are seen on TikTok,” he said.

According to the study, anti-government content accounts for 55.7% of content on TikTok, while hate speech is present in 21.3% of the analysed material. The platform is also predominantly used by people aged 18–35.

Meanwhile, YouTube is described as a platform for pseudo-analytical discourse, where long-form videos create an alternative “expert” narrative that gives disinformation an appearance of legitimacy.

Emphasis on the vulnerability of the younger generation

The study shows that almost half of the country’s population frequently encounters disinformation. However, according to the LRTK chairman, one of the most vulnerable groups is young people, who increasingly use social media as their primary source of news.

“If we no longer see Russian disinformation in traditional media, we observe another important trend – the younger generation is increasingly looking for information on social media. Social media platforms are becoming the main place people turn to for information,” Martišius said.

“In Lithuania there has been a perception that disinformation mostly affects people with lower incomes and lower levels of education who may consume Russian media. However, our research shows that, alongside this relatively small group, an increasing share of those vulnerable to misinformation are young people. This is because they use traditional media mainly for entertainment, while they receive their news about world events and how to interpret them from social media. This poses enormous challenges,” he explained.

The need to take action

According to participants in the discussion, preventing the identified threats and neutralizing the impact of disinformation spreading on social media requires appropriate measures at both the educational level and in broader state policy.

“Although traditional media still exists, the centre of gravity is increasingly shifting toward social media. The Lithuanian state will inevitably need to develop certain policies and measures to address these threats,” Martišius said on Monday.

Meanwhile, Repsense CEO Mykolas Katkus emphasized the importance of consistent monitoring and reviewing penalties for violations.

“I think monitoring, shutdowns and warnings are very important. It may also be necessary to assess whether existing penalties are sufficient and whether they should be reconsidered in some way,” Katkus said.

For his part, Linas Kojala, director of the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center (GSSC), noted that it is important to continue similar studies in order to better understand the broader picture.

“I would like to see such studies conducted regularly and consistently, because it is difficult to compare individual studies, even those addressing similar topics, due to methodological differences and other factors,” Kojala said during the conference.

“There should be more studies of this kind and they should be conducted consistently, because only by observing long-term trends can we propose effective measures,” he added.

As announced, a press conference entitled “The True Face of Disinformation in Lithuania: What Do the Spinter and Repsense Studies Show?” was held on Monday, presenting an unprecedented analysis of social media conducted by Repsense as well as a representative survey carried out by Spinter Research.