Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference
Propaganda and disinformation tactic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference or FIMI for short is the intentional and coordinated manipulative activity by foreign state or state-linked actors aimed at distorting the information environment and undermining trust, democratic processes, or security.
It is an ongoing security and foreign policy threat for the European Union and other countries. The European External Action Service (EEAS)'s East StratCom Task Force has taken a leading role in addressing this challenge.[1]
Definition
FIMI is defined by the EEAS as "a mostly non-illegal pattern of behaviour that threatens or has the potential to negatively impact values, procedures and political processes. Such activity is manipulative in character, conducted in an intentional and coordinated manner. Actors of such activity can be state or non-state actors, including their proxies inside and outside of their own territory."[1][2]
History
FIMI as a term was introduced in 2021 by the European Union. Its first notable mention was featured in the US–EU Summit Statement in June 2021. It has been increasingly featured alongside with or has outright replaced the term "disinformation" in EEAS communications.[3]
