With the launch of the TGuard research project, an interdisciplinary consortium is sending a strong signal against the spread of fake news. The two-year project, led by the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, will develop innovative methods for detecting disinformation in social media and formulate effective strategies for preventing AI-generated false reports.
The possibilities for disinformation campaigns using automatically generated text, image and video content have developed rapidly in a short period of time, but are often underestimated by the public. A scientific consortium led by the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences with partners from research, defence and communications is now declaring war on this development.
New approaches to mitigate disinformation
TGuard takes a holistic approach, studying both the creation and detection of fake news and developing measures to strengthen the resilience of the population against disinformation.
Clemens Havas, head of the research project at the Department of Creative Technologies at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, explains: We are testing new methods to detect fake news and social bots on platforms such as TikTok or YouTube. We are also working on a secure testing environment where AI-based detection software can be specifically trained, and we are developing an interactive demonstration app that allows training on how social bots work and the risks they pose. Our long-term goal is to regulate AI models in such a way that they cannot generate false positives in the first place.
A threat to Austria's security
In its Risk Picture 2025 publication, the Austrian Ministry of Defence warns that hybrid threats are one of the greatest dangers facing society. Michael Suker, head of the Cyber Documentation & Research Centre at the National Defence Academy, points out: 'The debate about 'hybrid threats' is currently ubiquitous and is an expression of a discourse about the blurred line between war and peace - characterised by ambiguities and the strategic exploitation of responsibility gaps. Hybrid threats combine military and non-military, covert and overt measures such as disinformation, cyber-attacks, economic pressure and the use of irregular and regular forces to blur the lines between war and peace, sow doubt and destabilise states. He stresses that disinformation is one of the greatest dangers in the short and medium term. The intent is diverse, and a distinction is made between state and non-state actors at home and abroad, with disinformation practices mostly used by state actors.
Disinformation has significant economic as well as political consequences. These include the disruption of markets and the impact of false information on business decisions. For example, false rumours about a company's financial difficulties can be deliberately spread to influence the share price and encourage stock market speculation. Similarly, fake reviews - whether through exaggeratedly positive reviews to artificially inflate the value of a product, or negative fake reviews to deliberately damage the competition - can have a significant impact on buying behaviour and the reputation of companies. In addition to the legal, ethical and technical challenges, it is crucial to raise society's awareness of the dangers of hybrid threats, in particular disinformation, and to strengthen its resilience. This requires a joint commitment from government and society. Freedom of expression is an important fundamental right and must be protected. A key challenge is to promote the diversity of the media landscape in Austria and to enable critical debate with different perspectives. This also includes the protection of a pluralistic media landscape within legal limits. Rather than imposing blanket bans, it is more effective to encourage citizens to critically examine information in order to promote transparency and accountability on the Internet, while at the same time effectively protecting society from disinformation. The TGuard project, with its broad consortium, will play an important role in this," says Michael Suker.
Project leadership and partners
The project is led by Clemens Havas from the University of Applied Sciences Salzburg. Other project partners are
- Austria Institut für Europa- und Sicherheitspolitik (AIES)
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
- Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung (BMLV)
- neke-neke GmbH
- Österreichisches Institut für angewandte Telekommunikation (ÖIAT)
Associated partners:
- Bundesministerium für Inneres
- Bundeskanzleramt Österreich
- Demokratiezentrum Wien
- BAIT Media GmbH
- ATHENA (EU-Programm Horizont Europa)
TGuard strengthens digital resilience and helps companies, authorities and citizens to arm themselves against disinformation. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Finance's K-PASS cyber security research funding programme.