Fortifying Democracy: EU’s Comprehensive Strategy Against Election Disinformation

European elections: EU bodies ready to combat false information

Spread the word:

The European Union's organizations are actively participating in protecting the European elections scheduled for June 6-9 from false news and attempts to undermine European democratic processes.

The European elections stand as a beacon for democratic practices in Europe. Sources such as the European Digital Media Observatory have highlighted that both domestic and international agents of disinformation aim to compromise the electoral system's credibility, erode confidence in broader democratic mechanisms, and fuel societal divides and polarization. Findings from the Eurobarometer reveal that a significant majority, 81% of EU residents, view the spread of news or information that distorts the truth or is outright false as a threat to democratic principles.

Efforts to deceive the public

Organizations, governing bodies, community groups, and verification experts, including the European Digital Media Observatory, the European Fact-Checking Standards Network, and EUvsDisinfo, have identified and revealed many efforts to deceive voters using distorted information in the past few months.

Agents of disinformation have spread misleading content regarding voting procedures, deterred individuals from participating in elections, or aimed to create strife and division before elections by exploiting significant or contentious issues. These deceptive efforts frequently involve overwhelming the public discourse with a plethora of inaccurate and deceptive content, intending to dominate the conversation. Prominent political figures and leaders frequently find themselves at the center of these information distortion campaigns. Disinformation frequently targets various European initiatives, including assistance to Ukraine, the European Green Deal, and issues related to migration.

Agents spreading false information have utilized a combination of bogus accounts and counterfeit or mimicked news platforms to alter the information landscape. Recent disclosures by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the governmental bodies of EU Member States have brought to light operations known as False Facade, Portal Kombat, and Doppelgänger.

A recent inquiry named "Operation Overload" conducted by the Finnish software firm Check First revealed that dubious accounts reached out to over 800 fact-checkers and media outlets across more than 75 nations. The aim was to inundate them with fake news, deplete their resources, and attempt to persuade them to disseminate the misinformation through articles meant to debunk it.

EU Entities: Stepped-up measures to shield the European Union against misinformation tactics

The presence of threats is matched by the European Union's united efforts to counter them. With explicit instructions from its political leaders, EU bodies have been actively addressing the issue of external information distortion and meddling, such as disinformation, for an extended period.

These initiatives are carried out through tight cooperation and joint planning among the institutions, while also engaging a broad spectrum of additional participants, including EU Member States, the media, fact-checkers, and civil society groups. This collaborative approach aims to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, the exchange of successful strategies, and the alignment of actions.

Positioned as a leader in tackling the challenges posed by foreign information manipulation and interference, the European Union collaborates closely with allied nations outside of its borders through platforms like the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism, among other channels. In its commitment to bolstering defenses against external meddling efforts, the EU has crafted a specialized set of strategies aimed at combating foreign information manipulation and interference. This comprehensive toolkit includes measures for enhancing situational awareness, strengthening resilience, implementing relevant legislation, and utilizing diplomatic measures. Importantly, all these initiatives are carried out with a steadfast commitment to upholding the core European principles of freedom of expression and freedom of opinion.

Our holistic approach to tackling misinformation is founded on these core pillars:

European Union bodies have been actively engaging in various efforts, such as campaigns to increase awareness and initiatives aimed at improving media literacy, all in an effort to bolster society's defenses against the spread of false information and manipulation of facts. Some of these

Fresh legislative measures adopted by the EU

During this term, key laws were passed by the legislative bodies, including the Digital Services Act (DSA), the AI Act, and the legislation concerning the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising. The European Parliament's Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes within the European Union, along with its follow-up entity, focused attention on the problem of foreign interference and disinformation. They advocated for a collective effort from all segments of society, utilizing both legislative and non-legitical strategies, to address these issues.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) mandates that online platforms evaluate and address any risks that could compromise the integrity of electoral processes, including the spread of false information facilitated by artificial intelligence. The DSA is now in full effect and is being enforced by the European Commission against what are termed as "very large online platforms," which are those with a user base of at least 45 million in the EU, or roughly 10% of the EU's population. In this vein, the Commission has initiated formal investigations into X and Meta, which includes both Instagram and Facebook, for possible breaches of the DSA that could affect election reliability. On a preventive measure, in March 2024, the Commission issued guidelines for elections, outlining the steps that platforms must take to adhere to regulations. Furthermore, in April 2024, the Commission facilitated a voluntary "stress test" involving these specific platforms, various civil society organizations, and national authorities to evaluate readiness. The Commission maintains ongoing discussions with these platforms to guarantee the DSA's effective execution and adherence.

For additional details, please refer to the background information

Connections:

Delphine COLARD

Peter STANO

Thomas REGNIER

Additional details

Details on products

Spread the word about this site:

Updates

Your nation's legislative body

Resources

The Leader of the European Parliament

European Legislative Assembly

The Assembly's presence on digital platforms

Links for more info