US pressure forces EU to drop disinformation conference sponsorship

The Trump administration pressured several countries to withdraw their sponsorship of a major European disinformation conference, the Guardian has learned. Canada, Lithuania, and the EU's diplomatic service all agreed to pull their support. The conference, called #Disinfo2026, runs Wednesday and Thursday in Vilnius, Lithuania. It is the annual gathering of Europe's counter-disinformation community, bringing together hundreds of researchers, journalists, technologists, and policymakers. It is organized by EU Disinfo Lab, an independent nonprofit based in Brussels. Days before the event, sponsor logos were removed from the conference website.