Algorithmic auditing in the age of disinformation: An analysis of electoral integrity challenges in Eastern Europe

Abstract

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and its widespread integration into everyday platforms have trans-formed large-scale digital systems into socio-technical infrastructures that shape public discourse and individual decision-making. As more users rely on algorithmically curated content-often controlled by opaque, transnational corporations-concerns about manipulation, bias, and democratic vulnerability have intensified. These concerns are especially urgent in Eastern Europe, where recent reports have highlighted instances of foreign interference in national elections through social media platforms. We argue that algorithmic auditing must be recognized as a critical component of transnational security strategies. In this paper, we analyze key developments in the field of algorithmic auditing and examine how such practices can support efforts to regulate social media platforms as a means of protecting electoral integrity-both in Eastern Europe and globally.