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Good practice Imported

STRATCOM — Moldova's State Centre Tracks AI-Driven Disinformation Networks Ahead of Its Elections

Moldova · Chișinău · See the Moldova profile · See the Chișinău profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 83% 40/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Moldova's presidential STRATCOM centre monitors coordinated inauthentic online activity, exposing a 129-site, 50-language pro-Kremlin network reaching roughly 500,000 daily impressions via AI-generated content and deepfakes around the 2024–2025 elections.

129 websites
Disinformation websites identified (Pravda Network) (May–September 2025)
50+ languages
Languages used by disinformation network (May–September 2025)
~500,000 impressions/day
Daily impressions generated by network (May–September 2025)
29 staff
Staff cap (2025)
STRATCOM — Moldova's State Centre Tracks AI-Driven Disinformation Networks Ahead of Its Elections

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
STRATCOM — Centrul pentru Comunicare Strategică și Combatere a Dezinformării
Period
2023–present
Keywords
public sector, national security, strategic communication, election integrity

Context

The Centre for Strategic Communication and Countering Disinformation (STRATCOM) was created by a law passed by Moldova's Parliament in July 2023 at President Maia Sandu's initiative. Oversight moved from Parliament to the Presidency in August 2025, and a presidential decree of 16 September 2025 fixed its structure at up to 29 staff, organised around a Situational Awareness and Forecasting Directorate and a Resilience Building directorate.

Activities

STRATCOM monitors inauthentic online behaviour and works alongside EU-backed monitoring (a joint 'stress test' of digital hybrid-threat scenarios run with the European Commission) and NGO-run AI monitoring such as International Media Support's LetsData algorithm.

Results

Its report covering May–September 2025 documented the 'Pravda Network': at least 129 websites publishing in more than 50 languages and generating roughly 500,000 impressions a day, using AI-generated articles, deepfakes and inauthentic social accounts to undermine trust in Moldovan institutions around the October 2024 presidential election/EU-accession referendum and the 2025 parliamentary election.

Conclusions

STRATCOM's own detection methodology is not fully public, and its move between parliamentary and presidential oversight within two years signals an institution still settling its governance model.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k) — Not disclosed in available sources beyond staffing cap.
Time to results
Medium (1–3 years) — Created by law in July 2023; oversight and structure fixed by presidential decree in August–September 2025; ongoing operations through at least 2025 elections.
Staffing & skills
Up to 29 staff, Situational Awareness and Forecasting Directorate, Resilience Building Directorate, Oversight moved from Parliament to the Presidency (August 2025)

Conditions for success

  • Clear statutory basis (2023 law) and a presidential decree fixing structure and staffing
  • Coordination with EU-backed 'stress test' exercises and NGO monitoring (LetsData)
  • Regular public reporting naming networks and tactics

Common failure modes

  • Analytical/AI detection methodology is not fully disclosed publicly, limiting independent verification of accuracy
  • Governance model has shifted between parliamentary and presidential oversight twice within two years, suggesting institutional instability

Where it fits

Governance type
national government / presidential oversight
Scale
national
Income level
lower-middle-income

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

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Data sources

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