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  • Organization Name: Democracy Safeguards Initiative
  • Legal Status: Non-Profit Association (ASBL - Association sans but lucratif)
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  • Contact Email: dsi@democracysafeguards.org

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Privacy Policy

Last Updated: May 30, 2026

The Democracy Safeguards Initiative ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, utilize our digital resources, or engage with our initiatives.

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Sharing: We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We may share information with trusted third-party service providers (such as secure hosting or email delivery platforms) strictly to operate our services, provided they adhere to strict confidentiality agreements.

Legal Disclosures: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.

International Data Transfers (GDPR Compliance)

As we operate within the European Union (Brussels, Belgium), any processing of personal data complies strictly with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). If data is processed by underlying infrastructure partners outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure appropriate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) are in place.

Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on your location, you hold specific rights regarding your personal data, including:

  • The right toaccess the personal data we hold about you.
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To exercise any of these rights, please contact us directly at: dsi@democracysafeguards.eu

An independent initiative focused on identifying, researching, and exposing networks that undermine democratic governance in Europe.

About DSI

Independent initiative analyzing and preventing covert threats to democracy

Democracy Safeguards Initiative (DSI) is a Brussels-based non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting and strengthening democratic systems in Europe and beyond.

We work at the intersection of investigation, law, and policy, addressing the growing spectrum of threats to democracy, from foreign influence operations and disinformation to institutional capture and radicalization of political discourse.

Grounded in evidence and driven by impact, DSI supports institutions, civil society, and at-risk communities to anticipate, withstand, and respond to democratic backsliding and hybrid threats. Our work combines rigorous analysis, strategic litigation, and targeted advocacy to ensure that democratic are not only defended but enforced — through both legal action and public accountability.

DSI operates with a clear mandate: to turn evidence into accountability, and risk into resilience.

Our Mission, Vision and Values

Protecting democracy by uncovering hidden influence, strengthening transparency, and advancing accountability

Mission

Protect democracy. Expose threats. Drive legal and public accountability.

Vision

A Europe where democratic systems are resilient, institutions are trusted, and authoritarian interference fails.

Values

  • Transparency - We communicate openly, share our methods, and stand behind our findings
  • Independence - Our analysis and actions remain free from political or external influence
  • Collaboration - We work across disciplines and with partners to solve complex problems
  • Integrity - We apply rigorous standards to our research, decisions, and partnerships
  • Accountability - We measure our impact and take responsibility for our results
  • Respect for expertise - We value diverse perspectives and evidence-driven debate

What We Do

DSI’s work is structured across four core operational clusters

Investigations & Evidence Generation

We uncover how democratic systems are targeted and undermined.

  • Conduct complex investigations combining field and OSINT research
  • Map influence networks, financing, and institutional capture
  • Document hybrid threats, including disinformation and other forms of coercion
  • Build evidence bases suitable for legal and policy action

Legal & Accountability Action

We translate evidence into consequences.

  • Support strategic litigation and legal analysis
  • Develop accountability pathways at national and international levels
  • Engage with sanctions, criminal law, and regulatory frameworks
  • Expose actions that undermine democratic norms

Policy & Strategic Advocacy

We help shape the frameworks that protect democracy.

  • Produce policy research and forward-looking analysis
  • Advocate for stronger legal and institutional safeguards
  • Engage with multilateral institutions and national authorities
  • Promote evidence-based responses to hybrid threats

Resilience & Capacity Building

We strengthen those on the frontlines of democratic defence.

  • Support civil society, journalists, and at-risk communities
  • Enhance institutional readiness to detect and respond to threats
  • Promote inclusive and meaningful democratic participation
  • Deliver training on digital, legal, and physical security

Why Now

Democracy in Europe is under sustained and evolving pressure

Authoritarian actors are no longer operating at the margins - they are systematically targeting democratic systems from within and across borders. Influence operations, including electoral engineering, disinformation, economic coercion, and institutional cooptation, are converging into a coordinated ecosystem of hybrid threats.

At the same time, democratic institutions often lack the tools, coordination, and legal frameworks needed to respond effectively.

The result is a widening gap between the scale of the threat and the strength of the response.

DSI exists to close that gap.

We act now because:

  • Hybrid threats are becoming more sophisticated, scalable, and destructive
  • Accountability for attacks on democracy remains fragmented and insufficient
  • Vulnerable communities are increasingly targeted and unprotected
  • The cost of inaction is systemic erosion of democratic legitimacy

This is not a future risk.


It is a present reality.

Defending democracy requires moving from reaction to anticipation — and from awareness to enforcement.