In new plans announced on Wednesday 10 June aimed at tackling online falsehoods connected to the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Commission mentions Beijing for the first time as a source of online disinformation linked to the coronavirus aimed at undermining Western democracies, sowing internal divisions and projecting a distorted view of China’s response to the global pandemic.
“If we have evidence, we should not shy away from naming and shaming,” Věra Jourová, the Commission’s vice president for values and transparency, told reporters.
In the unusually blunt statement, the Commission also blames Russia for similar tactics, and called on social media companies such as Facebook, Google’s YouTube and Twitter to publish monthly reports of how they are tackling Covid-19 misinformation. The nonbinding demands on tech giants are part of Brussels’ effort to revamp rules for these online platforms that will be published by the end of the year.
In a press release, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said:
“Disinformation in times of the coronavirus can kill. We have a duty to protect our citizens by making them aware of false information, and expose the actors responsible for engaging in such practices.”
He continued: “In today’s technology-driven world, where warriors wield keyboards rather than swords and targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns are a recognised weapon of state and non-state actors, the European Union is increasing its activities and capacities in this fight.”
Among the actions set out by the Commission, the need for additional efforts, increased transparency and greater accountability from online platforms is stressed. It states that platforms should provide monthly reports that include more detailed data on their actions to promote authoritative content, improve users’ awareness, and limit coronavirus disinformation and advertising related to it.
The EU also wants platforms to cooperate more closely with researchers and fact-checkers, as well as agree with the newly established European Digital Media Observatory on a framework to provide researchers with privacy-protected access to data.
According to Jurová, “disinformation will continue and vaccination will be the next battlefield” since so-called fake news around a possible coronavirus vaccine continue and are likely to make the deployment of vaccines – once available – more difficult.
Vice-President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová said:
“Disinformation waves have hit Europe during the Coronavirus pandemic. They originated from within as well as outside the EU. To fight disinformation, we need to mobilise all relevant players from online platforms to public authorities, and support independent fact checkers and media. While online platforms have taken positive steps during the pandemic, they need to step up their efforts. Our actions are strongly embedded in fundamental rights, in particular freedom of expression and information.”
The Coronavirus crisis has demonstrated the role of free and independent media as an essential service, providing citizens with reliable, fact-checked information, contributing to saving lives and the Commission also called upon Member States to intensify efforts to ensure that journalists can work safely and to make the most of the EU’s economic response and recovery package to support media heavily hit by the crisis, while respecting their independence.
The EU has been actively tackling disinformation since 2015. Following a decision of the European Council in March 2015, the East StratCom Task Force in the European External Action Service (EEAS) was set up. In December 2018, the Action Plan against Disinformation outlined the four pillars for the EU’s fight against disinformation and in October 2018, the Code of Practice was signed by Facebook, Google, Twitter and Mozilla as well as trade associations representing online platforms, the advertising industry, and advertisers as a self-regulatory tool to tackle disinformation.
“We’re committed to the code of practice and to our work together to find new and creative ways to continue the fight against disinformation,” Matt Brittin, Google’s president of business and operations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said in a statement.