2. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study provides an overview of the entities that are currently active in the fight against information disorder in the MENA region, and the methods and responses they use. It also discusses and analyzes legal and human rights issues and the context of freedom of opinion and expression in which these entities operate. The study aims to answer the following main questions: 1. How is information disorder understood in the region? What are its most prominent manifestations? 2. What types of actors are combating information disorder in the region and what responses do they provide? 3. What are the main sources that fund these entities? 4. What challenges do these entities face, at all levels? 5. Do these different actors cooperate amongst themselves? What obstacles stand in the way of this cooperation? The responses observed among media institutions, civil society organizations, international organizations, and government bodies in the region in the fight against information disorder include: • fact-checking platforms and initiatives • initiatives that enhance media and information literacy • legal responses • academic responses • technological initiatives • the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field. This study focuses on the five most important and/ or most frequently used responses in the region: 1. Fact checking and the evaluation of media content 2. Media, information, and digital literacy 3. The response of official and government organizations 4. Legal responses 5. The use of technology and AI. In summary, this study explores the efforts being made in the fight against information disorder in the region and the challenges that active actors in the field are facing. It emphasizes the need for improvement in the combating of mis- and I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH disinformation in a region that has been affected extensively by wars, political tensions, corruption, and the suppression of freedom of expression and freedom of the press. 3. METHODOLOGY This study is based on descriptive, qualitative, and quantitative research methods. We monitored a large number of organizations and initiatives that combat mis- and disinformation in the region, and the various types of responses. We analyzed the work and efforts of a number of these initiatives as case studies by conducting interviews and collecting data through questionnaires. We first completed the process of monitoring various types of initiatives and responses in the twenty-two Arab countries that make up the MENA region (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates [UAE], Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Yemen, Somalia, Mauritania, Djibouti and Comoros). Next, we conducted interviews with different entities and initiatives from fourteen Arab countries, with a total duration of more than twenty hours. A fact-checking questionnaire was sent to thirty-two platforms, initiatives, and organizations in fourteen countries. A questionnaire on the legal response in combating fake news was sent to eight lawyers who specialize in media legislation in eight Arab countries. We faced many challenges during the four months of work. The most notable of these are the following: • A number of government agencies in Saudi Arabia and Egypt refused to cooperate or grant us interviews. • A number of organizations and individuals in Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, and Tunisia refused to complete the questionnaires. • A number of entities refused to conduct interviews via Zoom. They preferred to receive questions and send responses via email. • With a number of entities, repeated communication was needed before they would agree to cooperate with us. • A number of entities refused to have their names and positions mentioned in the study, for the sake of safety and for the preservation of their privacy. • Due to a lack of media interest, there was insufficient data on a number of initiatives and the types of responses they use. Middle East and North Africa – 27