Mushfig Alasgarli: NGOs play key role in protecting Azerbaijan from disinformation

Non-governmental organizations play an important role in protecting Azerbaijan's information space from disinformation, Mushfig Alasgarli, a member of the Language Commission of the Azerbaijan Press Council, said.

According to Report, he made the remarks to journalists during an experience-sharing session organized by the National NGO Forum with the participation of NGO Tech Talks experts.

Alasgarli said the volume of disinformation is currently significant, noting that the World Economic Forum has ranked disinformation among the leading global risks.

He also stressed the importance of technical security, recalling that during the active phase of the Karabakh war, the websites of some Azerbaijani media outlets, NGOs and think tanks came under cyberattacks, disrupting their operations and access to information.

According to him, civil society institutions, particularly NGOs and media organizations, are taking steps both to strengthen their own security and to raise public awareness in this area.

Alasgarli said NGOs also play a major role in keeping the online environment secure and protecting the country's information space from disinformation.

He noted that NGOs contribute by producing reliable content and by exposing disinformation created abroad and directed at Azerbaijan's information space.

According to Alasgarli, Azerbaijani NGOs, including the National NGO Forum, issue statements several times a year exposing such disinformation and appeal to media outlets that disseminate it, calling for such practices to stop.