The project explores the role of civil society organizations in addressing disinformation within the highly polarized societies of Latin America. While most existing studies on disinformation focus on state regulation or the self-regulation of media and platform companies, this project shifts attention to the still under-researched activities of civil society. The project’s innovative contribution lies in systematically documenting and theoretically framing civil society engagement. It asks to what extent civil society organizations fulfill their democratic mandate to strengthen social cohesion. The results indicate that civil society plays a crucial role, particularly as social intermediaries and organizers. CSOs detect polarization at an early stage, enhance digital competencies, foster political education, and support independent local journalism. In these ways, they make an indispensable contribution to democratic resilience in polarized societies.

The study concentrates on Brazil, Colombia, and Chile—countries where disinformation has played a decisive role in recent years, particularly in presidential elections, constitutional referendums, and plebiscites. Drawing on extensive interviews with civil society actors, it examines whether and how these organizations are able to counter disinformation and polarization, or whether they may reinforce them. Initial findings suggest that effective strategies against disinformation cannot rely solely on information control—such as fact-checking and debunking—but must also include preventive approaches, ranging from prebunking and inoculation to broader initiatives in media literacy, political education, and the dissemination of counter-narratives.