The International Fact-Checking Network joins other press freedom organizations in expressing deep concerns over legislation in Hungary that would fine any news organization receiving foreign funds. Such laws would have significant chilling effects on independent accountability journalism, including the work of fact-checkers. We are especially concerned about how such legislation would affect Lakmusz, Hungary’s signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles.
The bill, entitled “On the Transparency of Public Life,” would allow Hungary’s Office for the Protection of Sovereignty to compile a list of organizations that receive funding from abroad and that the office considers threats to Hungarian sovereignty. It would allow authorities to monitor bank accounts, investigate foreign transactions, and ultimately block access to foreign funds. The proposal directly contradicts the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), adopted in 2024, which enshrines European citizens’ right to reliable information and mandates impartial media funding, according to Reporters Without Borders.
This type of legislation closely mirrors the “foreign agent” law recently enacted in Georgia. It would severely compromise the financial stability and ongoing operations of independent media outlets and other nonprofits that receive funding from abroad.
The Lakmusz fact-checking unit is a signatory to the Code of Principles, receiving its first independent assessment and successful approval in 2023. Fact-checkers voluntarily sign on to the Code of Principles and go through a verification process to prove they meet universal standards of transparency, independence, nonpartisanship and methodology.
The IFCN was founded in 2015 to bring together fact-checkers worldwide. Our network includes over 170 organizations across six continents dedicated to accountability journalism and fighting misinformation. Members undergo a rigorous verification process to demonstrate their adherence to these principles, establishing fact-checking as a vital part of the global information ecosystem.
