BFF-40 EU steps up fake news fight before elections

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EU-INTERNET-CRIME-MEDIA

EU steps up fake news fight before elections

BRUSSELS, Dec 5, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The European Union launched Wednesday a
system for member countries to alert each other to online disinformation
spread by opponents such as Russia to undermine next year’s key elections.

The bloc also urged Facebook and other social media platforms to follow
through on pledges to ensure transparent political advertising, to close fake
accounts, flag “bots” and cooperate with fact-checkers.

The campaign comes amid growing fears that Russia and other countries are
spreading fake news online to promote political divisions and extremism.

“We need to be united and join our forces to protect our democracies
against disinformation,” said Andrus Ansip, the EU’s vice president for the
digital single market.

“We have seen attempts to interfere in elections and referenda, with
evidence pointing to Russia as a primary source of these campaigns,” Ansip
added.

The European Union said it was taking steps to protect democracies and
public debate ahead of elections in May to the European Parliament as well as
before elections in member countries through 2020.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation EU, called for
a system in which EU bodies and member states alert each other about
disinformation in real time, to be set up in March next year.

The system will share data and analysis on propaganda campaigns and promote
what the bloc says will be objective communications about its values and
policies.

The plan will boost the Commission’s budget to tackle disinformation and
raise awareness from 1.9 million euros to five million euros next year.

This will allow for an increase in staff and equipment in Brussels and
among EU delegations to third countries. Member countries are also urged to
try to match the efforts.

– ‘Mistrust in democracy’ –

The Commission also asked Facebook, Google, Twitter and Mozilla as well as
online and advertising trade associations to “swiftly and effectively” act on
pledges made last month to fight disinformation. These include ensuring the
transparency of political advertising, closing active fake accounts and
flagging messages spread automatically by “bots”.

They also include cooperating with academic researchers to detect
disinformation campaigns and making fact-checked content more visible and
widespread.

The Commission said it will work with European regulators of audio-visual
media services to monitor whether the pledges are being carried out fully.

Setting out a timetable for action, it said the social media firms and
industry associations must update the Commission on their efforts before the
year ends.

The Commission will publish a report on their input in January.

Between January and May, the online platforms will have to report monthly
to the Commission, which will also publish its assessment of their work
around the end of next year.

The Commission warned it could take “regulatory” action if the online
platforms failed to follow through properly on their pledges when they signed
a Code of Practice last month.

“Healthy democracy relies on open, free and fair public debate,” the EU’s
foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said.

“It’s our duty to protect this space and not allow anybody to spread
disinformation that fuels hatred, division, and mistrust in democracy,” she
said.

BSS/AFP/FI/ 1830 hrs