The Global Fact-Checking Network's website may look credible, but it is in fact backed by Russia's state news agency TASS.

Moscow

Russia has launched a new fact-checking website called the Global Fact-Checking Network, which began publishing articles in April 2025. Despite its legitimate-sounding name, the outlet is backed by the Kremlin, with co-founders including the Russian state news agency TASS and Anno Dialog, a group under US and EU sanctions.

The platform claims to combat disinformation and so-called fake stories, particularly those it attributes to Western sources. However, established fact-checking organisations have identified factual errors and pro-Russian bias in its content. Many contributors have ties to Russian state media, and some, such as the African Initiative, have been linked to Russian disinformation campaigns abroad.

Russia launches fact-checking website

How reliable is Russia's new fact-checking outlet? In a bid to fight back against mass online disinformation, an increasing number of fact-checking outlets are cropping up online. While some are integrated into traditional newsrooms, others are standalone entities. But what happens when fact-checking websites become vehicles used to conceal propaganda campaigns? This is the case of the Global Fact-Checking Network, which started posting articles in April 2025. Although it may seem like a legitimate fact-checking website, in reality it is a Kremlin-backed disinformation tool. The organisation's name is very similar to the Established International Fact-Checking Network, which is a reputable consortium of international fact-checkers. This is unlikely to be a coincidence. The co-founders of the outlet include Russian state news agency TASS, as well as Anno Dialog, a non-governmental organisation which is under sanctions from the US and EU. The Kremlin's spokesperson for foreign affairs, Maria Zakharova, has said the platform's aim is to fight what she calls fake stories, as well as disinformation promoted by the West and biased fact-checkers. The Global Fact-Checking Network's website is available in English and Russian, listing a range of experts and participants who contribute to its fact-checking work. While the outlet is still relatively new, established fact-checking organisations have flagged factual mistakes and pro-Russian narratives in the outlet's articles. Many of the platform's contributors are known Russian propagandists, who have also worked for Kremlin state-aligned outlets. For instance, one of its contributors is the African Initiative, which presents itself as a Russian news agency which covers events on the African continent. In reality, it has been classified as the main vehicle for Russia's disinformation activities in Africa by France's Agency for Foreign Digital Interference, Vignon.

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Breakdown