International Conference 'The Invisible Middle: Understanding Online Extremism in Middle-Aged Adults in Europe'

We are pleased to announce our international conference “The Invisible Middle: Understanding Online Extremism in Middle-Aged Adults in Europe,” which will take place on 29 January 2026 at the NH Brussels EU Berlaymont, Bd Charlemagne 11/19, Brussels.

The conference will bring together policymakers, journalists, security experts, researchers, and digital platform representatives to discuss online extremism, its societal implications, and its specific impact on middle-aged users. The programme will explore cultural, technological, and psychological dimensions of online engagement in this demographic and provide space for exchange with other EU-funded initiatives tackling extremism, disinformation, and social cohesion. A further objective is to develop concrete policy insights and practical recommendations that can inform future interventions and institutional responses.

Panel I: Presentation of Project Findings will highlight key research insights on the digital behaviours of middle-aged adults, including how extremist narratives circulate through social media, messaging apps, and online communities. The findings also examine how misinformation, polarising content, and identity-based narratives affect this often-overlooked demographic, providing evidence to guide targeted interventions.

Panel II: Media and Cultural Perspectives on Online Extremism will explore how media narratives, visual storytelling, and cultural content can both reinforce and counter extremist ideologies, including a documentary screening.

Panel III: Common Challenges and Best Practices from Related Projects offers an opportunity to exchange lessons learned and promising approaches across EU-funded initiatives.

Panel IV: Policy Discussion – From Evidence to Action brings together policymakers, platform representatives, and practitioners to translate research insights into actionable strategies for countering online harms.

The conference aims to provide participants with actionable insights into the dynamics of online extremism among middle-aged adults and to explore effective strategies for prevention, resilience, and intervention. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of the patterns of online engagement and susceptibility to misinformation in this demographic, exchange knowledge and best practices across sectors, and develop concrete recommendations to inform policy, platform governance, media literacy initiatives, and community-based interventions. By fostering dialogue between researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and platform representatives, the event seeks to strengthen collaboration and support evidence-based, practical approaches to countering online extremism and promoting digital resilience.

For inquiries about the conference, please contact: m.busra@inclusiveeuropa.eu. To know more about the event, please visit https://www.smidgeproject.eu/general-8-1 To register for the event, please visit the following link: Registration link

MORNING SESSION

09:00 – 09:30 | Arrival & Registration

• Welcome coffee and networking

  
  

09:30 – 09:40 | Opening Remarks

• Welcome from INEU and introduction to the conference objectives

  
  

09:40 – 10:00 | Keynote Address

• The Origins of the SMIDGE Project – How the project came to life? | Dr. Sara Wilford (De Montfort University)

  
  

10:00 – 11:30 | Panel I: Presentation of SMIDGE Findings

Moderator: Dr. Nitika Bhalla, De Montfort University

• Beyond disinformation and online extremism: evidence and recommendations | Prof. Dr. Giovanni Ziccardi (University of Milan)

• HYPE Spaces: evolving dynamics, trends and mainstreaming of online extremism | Dr. Line Nybro Petersen (University of Copenhagen)

• Insights from surveys, interviews and focus groups | Prof Kalypso Iordanou & Dr. Vasiliki Christodoulou (UCLAN Cyprus)

• Networks, Moral Framing & Sentiments | Christian Gulas (FAS Research)

• Scaling impact and future training | Fabrizio Boldrini (Fondazione Villa Montesca)

  
  

11:30 – 11:45 | Coffee Break

11:45 – 13:00 | Panel II: Media and Cultural Perspectives on Online Extremism

• Opening remarks by Professor Jason Lee (De Montfort University)

• Documentary Screening (50 min)

• Discussion with filmmakers Sian Hamlett and Mitchell Harris

  
  

LUNCH BREAK | 13:00 – 14:00

AFTERNOON SESSION

14:00 – 15:15 | Panel III: Common Challenges and Best Practices from Related Projects

Moderator: Ludmila Malai, Inclusive Europe

• Mitigating risk and assessing threats in a hybridized digital landscape | Line Nybro Petersen (SMIDGE, UCPH)

• From everyday extremism to political attunement: Building democratic capacities for democratic resilience | Sandra Obradovic, Joana Ricarte (OppAttune) 

• ARENAS Representative

• EUMotion Representative

  
  

15:15 – 15:30 | Coffee Break

15:30 – 17:00 | Panel IV: Policy Discussion – From Evidence to Action

Moderator: Dan Ilazi, Kosovar Centre for Security Studies

• How the EU’s Digital Policy Framework Tackles Online Harms | Kai Zenner, Digital Policy Adviser

• Becky Slack, Journalist & Director of Agenda

• Anna De Marchi, DG CONNECT

• A representative from the EU Knowledge Hub On Prevention of Radicalisation 

• Saman Nazari, Alliance4Europe

• A representative from Lie Detectors

  
  

17:00 – 17:15 | Closing & Next Steps

• Reflections from SMIDGE Partners