Lithuanian conservatives call for assessment of coordinated disinformation harm on social media

The Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) parliamentary group has formally requested that the Seimas National Security and Defence Committee (NSGK) evaluate the damage caused by coordinated disinformation campaigns on social media, including activity linked to Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the nationalist group Nemuno aušra (Dawn of Nemunas), LRT reports.

The call follows an investigation by data analytics firm Repsense, which identified a systematic, centrally managed disinformation network on Facebook aimed at undermining public trust in state institutions, Lithuania’s defence policy, and its geopolitical alignment. The analysis highlighted Žemaitaitis’s personal account as a key node in amplifying coordinated narratives.

In their appeal, TS-LKD lawmakers urged the committee to prioritise the issue, stating that “combating disinformation is a shared national security priority.” The letter emphasised that the network’s targets have included cultural organisations, public broadcaster LRT, and the president, while systematically discrediting political opponents and eroding confidence in democratic institutions.

The Repsense report detailed a three-stage propagation model: initial content is posted on Žemaitaitis’s profile, then rapidly republished across six core Facebook groups within hours, before being disseminated under major news outlet posts to reach audiences tens of times larger. Researchers noted that the short, repetitive copying intervals—often within six hours—indicate coordinated activity, with fake or automated accounts (“bots”) artificially boosting visibility by exploiting platform algorithms.

TS-LKD has asked the NSGK to assess the harm such operations pose to democratic processes and state interests, and to initiate discussions with responsible agencies on countermeasures.