MOSCOW (MNN); The “Dialogue about Fakes 4.0” forum, held on September 22 at the National Centre Russia in Moscow, brought together around 2,000 fact-checkers from 80 countries to discuss ways of addressing false and misleading information.
The event was attended by politicians, media professionals and industry experts, who examined the growing impact of disinformation on politics, elections, financial markets and businesses.
One of the key developments was an announcement by Vladimir Tabak, President of the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), that the organisation plans to establish its first international headquarters, GFCN International, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Tabak said the decision reflected the cross-border nature of disinformation and the lack of clear international legal mechanisms for dealing with information-related conflicts.
He said Russia would remain an important foundation for the initiative, while the Dubai hub would provide an additional platform for representatives of different countries, media organisations and fact-checking projects.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, addressing the forum, highlighted its international participation, noting that experts from the Global South, the East and several Western countries were taking part.
Delegations from countries including the United States, China, Brazil, Argentina, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, Slovakia, South Korea, Pakistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Indonesia, Nigeria, Egypt, Belgium, Tanzania, Mexico and Kyrgyzstan attended the event.
The 2026 forum focused on the Russian State Duma elections, measures to protect election integrity against disinformation, and the wider effects of fake news on politics, financial markets and businesses.
Participants also discussed recent developments in artificial intelligence and its growing role in the arts.
A separate panel examined online fraud targeting minors and the increasing involvement of young people in cybercrime and other forms of digital delinquency.
During the session, the autonomous nonprofit organisation “Dialog Regions” presented research on financial scams targeting children and the growing use of AI-powered tools by young people.
The forum was organised by ANPO “Dialog Regions” in cooperation with the Global Fact-Checking Network, which was co-founded by the TASS Russian News Agency and the New Media School.