Citizen Collaboration

Fundación Maldita.es leads SPQR, a European initiative to combat disinformation through citizen participation and innovation

Fundación Maldita.es coordinates SPQR (Social Problem, Quality Response: Countering Disinformation through Citizen Collaboration), a project co-funded by the European Union that works with young people, students, and expert citizens from Spain, Italy, and Poland to tackle disinformation. It provides them with innovative technological tools, knowledge, and cutting-edge practical skills, while mobilising cross-border and multi-sector communities of engaged citizens.

March 20, 2026
Fundación Maldita.es leads SPQR, a European initiative to combat disinformation through citizen participation and innovation

At the end of 2025, Fundación Maldita.es launched La Buloteca, a collaborative platform that allows anyone to contribute tips about potentially misleading content and support its verification. Inspired by this experience, the SPQR project (Social Problem, Quality Response) aims to adapt this model to other European countries. Its goal is to encourage young people, students, and citizens to actively participate in identifying and responding to disinformation, fostering collaboration with professional fact-checkers.

Over two years, the project will develop participatory events in Spain, Italy, and Poland, both in-person and online, with the aim of reaching more than 2,000 people. Through a hands-on approach, participants will acquire tools to identify, investigate, and counter disinformation, engaging in a process that ranges from prevention (prebunking) to verification (debunking) and post-analysis (post-bunking).

The SPQR project is driven by a consortium formed by Fundación Maldita.es (Spain), Demagog (Poland), Equipo Europa (Spain), and the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (Spain). It also involves the collaboration of ten academic institutions and European organisations. In total, 14 organisations are part of this initiative, with a strong presence of universities that helps connect the project with the academic sphere and facilitates the direct involvement of students and young people in the fight against disinformation. The consortium includes:

What will Fundación Maldita.es contribute?

Fundación Maldita.es is responsible for the overall coordination of the project, as well as for the design and technical development of the SPQR platform in all project languages and its integration into each partner’s website infrastructure.

It will also lead the development of workshop content for young people, students, and citizens, and contribute its experience in organising training activities within European projects. In addition, it will support communication, dissemination, and sustainability actions, with the aim of reaching a wider audience of individuals and organisations across Europe.

How is the project funded?

SPQR is a project co-funded by the European Union with €443,595 under the CERV-2025-CITIZENS-CIV call. Fundación Maldita.es will receive €205,870 to carry out activities between March 2026 and February 2028.

The SPQR project is co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed in this text are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

 
 
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