# Georgia enacts 'foreign influence' law requiring media to register as foreign-backed

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 1 source.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

Georgia's parliament passed a law requiring media and civil-society groups that receive 20 percent or more of their funding from abroad to register as organizations "serving the interests of a foreign power," over mass street protests and international criticism that the label would be used to marginalize independent outlets.[1][2][3]

- Country: [Georgia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ge) (RSF 2026 rank: 135th of 180)
- Where: GE
- Level of government: National
- Tactics: Official labels, Funding and ownership pressure
- Stage: Pressure (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/disinformation_labeling#stage-pressure)
- Head of government at the time: [Irakli Kobakhidze](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/irakli-kobakhidze)
- Issue of the day: The governing Georgian Dream party framed the law as protecting Georgian sovereignty against foreign-funded groups it accused of trying to organize unrest, at a time when the party also faced growing opposition ahead of Georgia's 2024 parliamentary election.
- Outcome: Sustained. The law took effect despite mass protests and international criticism; the governing party did not withdraw it.
- Era: The 2020s

## What happened

Georgia's parliament passed the "law on transparency of foreign influence" in May 2024, requiring media outlets and non-governmental organizations that receive twenty percent or more of their annual revenue from foreign sources to register with the justice ministry as "organizations serving the interests of a foreign power," subjecting them to additional reporting requirements, inspections and fines of roughly $9,300 for noncompliance. Human Rights Watch's Europe director, Hugh Williamson, said labeling independent groups and media as serving foreign interests was intended to marginalize and stifle critical voices, and called on Georgian authorities to drop the bill. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze defended the law as directed at groups he said were trying to "organize a revolution," promote what he called "LGBT propaganda," and "discredit the police, judiciary, and the Georgian Orthodox Church." Mass protests in Tbilisi and statements from United Nations experts condemning the law did not stop its passage.[1][2][3]

## What reason was given

Prime Minister Kobakhidze said the law addressed groups attempting to "organize a revolution" and to "discredit the police, judiciary, and the Georgian Orthodox Church."[2]

## What changed for reporting

Independent Georgian outlets that rely on foreign grants faced a stigmatizing official label, new inspections and fines, pressure press-freedom groups said was designed to make continued foreign-funded reporting more difficult.[1]

## Timeline

- 2024-05-28: Georgia enacts 'foreign influence' law requiring media to register as foreign-backed

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Irakli Kobakhidze](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/irakli-kobakhidze) | ordered | Prime Minister of Georgia |
| [Parliament of Georgia](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/georgian-parliament) | legislated | National legislature |

## Sources

1. Georgia: 'Foreign Influence' Bill Threatens Rights. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/05/09/georgia-foreign-influence-bill-threatens-rights (Human Rights Watch, 2024-05-09).

## Claims cited

[1] HRW's Europe director said labeling groups as serving foreign interests was intended to marginalize and stifle critical voices. Quote: "By labeling independent groups and media as serving foreign interests, they intend to marginalize and stifle critical voices" Source: Human Rights Watch, 2024-05-09. Georgia: 'Foreign Influence' Bill Threatens Rights. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/05/09/georgia-foreign-influence-bill-threatens-rights Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/434, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] Prime Minister Kobakhidze said the law addressed groups he accused of trying to organize a revolution and undermine state institutions. Quote: "organize a revolution" Source: Human Rights Watch, 2024-05-09. Georgia: 'Foreign Influence' Bill Threatens Rights. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/05/09/georgia-foreign-influence-bill-threatens-rights Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/435, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] HRW said the bill trampled on fundamental rights and should be dropped by Georgian authorities. Quote: "The foreign influence bill tramples on fundamental rights and Georgian authorities should drop it." Source: Human Rights Watch, 2024-05-09. Georgia: 'Foreign Influence' Bill Threatens Rights. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/05/09/georgia-foreign-influence-bill-threatens-rights Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/436, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-georgia-foreign-influence-law. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.