A Romanian innovative project funded by the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative caught the attention of the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, during his visit to the Francotech conference, which took place on October 3-4.

The tool in question visualizes connections in the world of disinformation and offers a fresh approach for navigating complex disinformation narratives. In this way, it enhances the investigative capabilities of those working to combat misinformation. 

The company that developed it, TechWave Development, was established in 2021, specializing in custom administrative platforms for businesses. In 2022, it launched the MindBugs project, an initiative to delve into the complexities and implications of disinformation. 

The Mindbugs Discovery Tool, developed by Ioana Cheres and Mihai Topor, provides an interactive platform for analyzing the origins, spread, and targets of disinformation, empowering experts with actionable insights. It features geographical spread and timeline visualizations. These intuitive graphs let users see how disinformation trends vary across regions and evolve, turning complex data into actionable insights.

The tool also incorporates graphics and an interactive 3D graph environment, revealing connections and patterns in the disinformation landscape and making complex analyses feasible and engaging. 

“Our search engine enhances the investigative process by understanding the context of queries, allowing journalists and researchers to find the most relevant debunked claims efficiently. This capability reduces the time spent searching and increases the time available for detailed reporting,” the founders said.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: NGI)