ECHO

Disinformation is a major problem in society today and poses a profound challenge to democratic resilience, public health, and civic trust across the European Union, weakening democratic systems, causing mistrust among people, harming public health, and creating division in society. To address this, the ECHO project (Empowering Citizens against Hallucinations and Online Manipulation) suggests a strong and multi-faceted plan that brings together civic empowerment, technological innovation, ethical awareness, and participatory design. ECHO is firmly aligned with the EU’s strategic objective to strengthen democratic resilience and protect the sovereignty of public opinion against manipulation, through the misuse of digital tools and artificial intelligence. ECHO envisions a future where citizens, healthcare professionals, educators, journalists, and public institutions are capable to identify disinformation and are actively involved in preventing its spread. ECHO builds this vision through localized pilots, hands-on training, algorithmic advancements, and inclusive civic interventions, engaging a diverse spectrum of society—youth, EU citizens, people with disabilities, healthcare workers, fact-checkers, and local governments. ECHO addresses that challenge through an ambitious, multi-stakeholder initiative designed to empower citizens, healthcare professionals, media, and civil society with the tools, skills, and resources necessary to detect, understand, and counteract disinformation in a responsible, inclusive, and ethical manner. It combines participatory citizen-centric design with cutting-edge technological innovation, fostering collaboration. Through a series of initiatives in its pilot domains, ECHO fosters data transparency, responsible AI use, and community-driven disinformation detection. It is achieved through a range of enabler activities designed to inform, train, and empower its audience to recognize disinformation, educate others, and use AI responsibly.

Consortium

ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS, EL
ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS, EL
MINISTERO DELL’ECONOMIA E DELLE FINANZE, IT
SOLOMON ASTIKI MI KERDOSKOPIKI ETAIREIA, EL
VOULI GOUOTS ASTIKI MI KERDOSKOPIKI ETAIREIA – MI KIVERNITIKI ORGANOSI MKO, EL
STICHTING HEALTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL, NL
TECHNOLOGIKO PANEPISTIMIO KYPROU, CY