
Understanding and Countering Information Manipulation in Central Asia: New Research Highlights FIMI Trends in Kyrgyzstan
On 21 May 2025, the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) and Internews Europe unveiled the preliminary findings of the pilot study “Tracking Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) Online: Findings from Kyrgyzstan”, funded by the European Union through the “Cultivating Audience Resilience Through Amplification of Vibrant and Authentic Narratives” (CARAVAN) project.
The study, a collaboration between the European Neighbourhood Council, Pikasa Analytics, and Internews Europe, represents a pioneering effort to analyse the evolving FIMI landscape in Kyrgyzstan through a mixed-methods approach that combines supervised Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and qualitative verification.
Meera Selva, CEO of Internews Europe, said: “This research shows the importance of independent, cross-border and collaborative journalism that focuses on local communities. This kind of journalism delivers high-quality, trusted and relevant information that citizens need to make informed decisions about their lives and provides the best antidote to misinformation and manipulation.”
The rapid growth of digital media has opened new avenues for Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) to influence public opinion across the globe. Central Asia has not been immune to the global rise of information manipulation. Recent studies have documented the likely presence of FIMI across the region, often aligning with the geopolitical interests of foreign actors such as Russia and China. The scale and impact of disinformation activity have been particularly exposed during major global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These developments highlight the urgent need for targeted, context-specific research into how foreign information manipulation unfolds across Central Asia’s media environment.
This report presents findings from the first phase of pilot research, focused specifically on Kyrgyzstan. The findings offer a preliminary, yet detailed, portrait of Kyrgyzstan’s evolving FIMI landscape and provide insights aimed at improving methodology on FIMI and supporting policymakers, media professionals, and civil society actors working to strengthen societal resilience against foreign information manipulation and disinformation.
Beyond diagnosis, the research proposes concrete recommendations for national and international actors. These include strengthening digital literacy initiatives, supporting pluralistic and explanatory journalism, developing AI-based monitoring tools tailored to local languages, and fostering transparent media regulation that upholds freedom of expression.
Peter M. Wagner, Head of the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, said: “While FIMI is a global horizontal threat, it often needs to be addressed with very targeted and context-specific responses, such as through the EU-funded CARAVAN project, which this research is part of.”
This work forms part of the broader CARAVAN initiative, funded by the European Union, and which is committed to strengthening information resilience across Central Asia.
The executive summary is available here.