Lithuania’s parliament has begun debating a package of five legal amendments that would criminalise the spread of disinformation and propaganda of aggressive war, including prison sentences of up to five years.
The Seimas took up the package on May 18, introduced by conservative MP Daiva Ulbinaitė, who described it as “the first step toward building an information shield for the country”. The amendments passed a first reading with 75 votes in favour, seven against and 13 abstentions. They will now move to the committees on culture, national security and defence, and law and order, with a return to the plenary expected in the autumn session.
The package defines ‘disinformation’ as intentionally created, presented or disseminated false or misleading information aimed at deceiving the public, influencing elections or causing harm to national security, constitutional order or public interest.
What the Amendments Would Do
Proposed changes to the Criminal Code would establish liability for conducting information activities on behalf of a hostile state and for publicly inciting, justifying or propagandising aggressive war, with prison sentences of up to five years. Administrative fines for spreading disinformation would range from €200 to €3,000.
The package also targets so-called SIM farms, automated devices using large numbers of SIM cards to redirect or receive calls and messages for disinformation purposes. “This equipment is widely used for fraud, sending false messages, automated manipulation and information operations against the state,” Ulbinaitė said. Fines for illegal use of SIM equipment would range from €1,000 to €3,000, rising to €6,000 for repeat offences.
The amendments would expand the powers of the Inspector of Journalist Ethics, allowing the office to issue binding instructions to platforms to remove dangerous content or block access to it. Social networks and video platforms would be required to comply with removal requests from state authorities.
Broader Information Defence Push
The Seimas debate is part of a wider legislative effort. This week the parliament also established a temporary cross-party group on combating disinformation and strengthening information resilience, joined by 26 MPs. Lithuania’s Ministry of Culture has launched an interagency working group tasked with developing a national disinformation and manipulation action plan.
Ulbinaitė framed the need for the legislation in direct terms: “Defending ourselves against geopolitical threats, Kremlin provocations and hybrid attacks, we have strengthened our borders and increased our defence budget. But in the information war we have been fighting for a long time without even the most basic legal instruments.”
