On November 5, Freedom House released Freedom on the Net 2019 report. Along with other countries the document evaluates the state of internet freedom in Georgia.
According to the report, government-affiliated groups have disseminated misinformation on social media to influence public opinion. Freedom House refers to the bot accounts and sponsored posts used to undermine the protests and disseminate progovernment information during June 2019 demonstrations.”The Media Development Foundation, a group that tracks content manipulation, observed dozens of fake social media accounts disseminating progovernment talking points and discrediting opposition parties, NGOs, journalists, business representatives, and other government critics throughout the coverage period”,- says the report.
Also, based on the recent reports by the Media Development Foundation and Transparency International, Freedom House indicates that that a number of news sites, some of which demonstrate bias and are affiliated with political parties, coordinate informally to disseminate information.