Major tech companies that own online platforms согласились to comply with the European Union’s new rules to combat disinformation on the internet.
Disinformation and misinformation thrive in uncertainty and secrecy.
To counter these threats, we have strengthened our #CodeofPractice on Disinformation. ↓#DigitalEU #DSA
— European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) June 16, 2022
The document подписали Adobe, Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, Vimeo and others. Companies will have to step up efforts to prevent the spread of fake news and propaganda on their platforms. They also commit to sharing more detailed data about their work with EU member states.
According to the European Commission, the rules took into account, among other things, lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis and Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
“The new Code of Practice on Disinformation appeared at a time when Russia is using disinformation as a weapon in its military aggression against Ukraine, and as we observe attacks on democracy in a broader sense,” said Vera Jourova, Vice-President of the Commission for Values and Transparency.
The document contains 44 concrete “obligations” for companies. Among them:
- creating searchable libraries of political advertising;
- demonetisation of fake news sites to deprive them of advertising revenue;
- reducing the number of bot networks and fake accounts used to spread disinformation;
- providing users with tools to flag disinformation and access to “authoritative sources”;
- ensuring researchers have better and broader access to platform data;
- close cooperation with independent fact-checkers to verify information sources.
Many U.S. tech companies such as Facebook and Twitter have already adopted similar initiatives under pressure from politicians and regulators. The EU, however, argues that the new rulebook will tighten oversight of these operations and bolster enforcement.
Unlike the previous edition of the document, the new rules are mandatory. They will be applied under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), said European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton:
“Large platforms that repeatedly breach the Code and do not take appropriate measures to reduce risks may be fined up to 6% of their global turnover.”
Despite the scale of the initiative, a number of companies did not join the updated document. For instance, despite a growing advertising business, Apple did not sign the Code. Telegram, which has become a major battleground for propaganda since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is also absent from the list.
In June, the tech giants tentatively agreed to join the EU’s initiative to combat deepfakes, disinformation and fake accounts.
In April, the European Union approved the Digital Services Act, increasing the responsibility of large tech companies regarding recommender algorithms and targeted advertising.
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