Sovereignty Protection Office against Átlátszó and Transparency International Hungary

Advertisements on social networks, funded by political actors and affiliated entities, play a significant role in shaping public debate in Central Europe. These ads often contain disinformation or hate speech targeting specific groups, including journalists. Political Capital partnered with the Slovak-based Ján Kuciak Investigative Centre (ICJK) to uncover and counter political actors spreading disinformation and hostile narratives through paid social media ads. As part of this collaboration, we conducted a case study on the launch of Hungary’s Sovereignty Protection Office (SPO).

Based on its first year of operation, the SPO appears to be positioned somewhere between a regulatory authority and a government propaganda tool. While it conducts investigations, requests data, and produces reports, its primary function seems to be amplifying government narratives and discrediting targeted organizations. In June 2024, the SPO set its sights on Transparency International Hungary and Átlátszó. Over time, it expanded its investigations to other civil organizations, but we focus specifically on these two closely related cases in this analysis.

Please find the analysis here (pdf).