Friday

8th Dec 2023

EU states urged to take action on Russia's info 'war'

  • EU commissioner Vera Jourova slammed Russian-controlled media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik as "Kremlin's weapons". (Photo: EC - Audiovisual Service)
Listen to article

Calls to crack down on the Russian propaganda machine are on the rise in Europe — amid concerns over the impact of global disinformation campaigns.

EU commissioner for transparency and values Věra Jourová said on Thursday (16 June) EU countries should remain vigilant and impose sanctions on media that pose a threat to their national security in order to counter the current "information war".

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"It is also in the hands of EU member states to make an assessment on whether a media poses a threat to national security," she told a press conference, adding that EU capitals do not have to wait for EU-level sanctions on platforms, outlets, or TV channels to take action.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February, the EU announced an unprecedented ban on Russian state-controlled media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik — deemed by Jourová as the "Kremlin's weapons".

But some EU countries, such as the Baltics, have gone further in their fight against Russian disinformation since the ban of Russia Today and Sputnik.

Latvia's media regulator, earlier this month, decided to ban all Russia-based TV channels until Russia stops its invasion of Ukraine.

Previously, Lithuania also imposed sanctions on several Russian broadcasters operated by Russia's Gazprom-Media.

Neighbouring Estonia has taken similar actions.

"[Russian] president [Vladimir] Putin sets the tone and decides what is the truth and everyone who deviates from this can go to jail …We [just] want the society to have better tools to differentiate and work with facts," said Jourová, while presenting the bloc's tougher approach against disinformation under an updated EU code of practice.

Still self-regulation?

The new EU code, which includes more than 30 signatories, has pledged to scale up efforts to combat fake news, deep fakes, and political advertising.

The signatories include Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp), Twitter, Google and Tik Tok as well as advertising associations, civil society organisations and fact-checkers.

Apple and Amazon are missing from the list, although Amazon's live streaming e-sports platform Twitch is included.

The new code, Jourová said, shows that Europe has learned its lessons. "We are not naive any longer."

The platforms now have seven months to make sure that their commitments are enough to fight fake news, being considered "risk mitigation" under the EU's flagship tech policy Digital Services Act (DSA).

All media players falling under the scope of the DSA will have to submit their reports by January 2023 for a commission review. Platforms could face fines of up to 6 percent of their turnover if found in breach of the rules.

This means that the code will still be a self-regulatory tool until the DSA is in place.

The code will create a new body, officially known as the "permanent task force", to monitor the implementation of the code in relation to the DSA obligations.

But digital rights defenders and activists say monitoring is key to avoiding having a paper tiger against disinformation.

"We need monitoring with teeth from the commission, … otherwise, this code could become just a cheap way to avoid the fines they [the platforms] could face under the Digital Services Act," said Luca Nicotra, a campaigner at international group Avaaz.

The new code, which builds on its previous version from 2018, includes commitments for how platforms should fix their algorithms to avoid amplifying or monetising disinformation.

Call for sanctions on foreign meddling and disinformation

The draft report, from a special committee on foreign interference and disinformation, also calls for the EU-wide ban on foreign funding for European political parties — and legislation to make it harder for foreign regimes to recruit former top politicians.

Interview

EU struggles to fight disinformation within

The draft report on fighting foreign interference in the EU will be voted by the parliament plenary in March. The recommendations to the EU Commission include a mandatory code of conduct for digital platforms, and closing loopholes on party financing.

Platform workers could face 'robo-firing' under EU's AI rules

The platform workers directive, currently under negotiation, could create "ambiguity" on the processing of personal data by the platform and would also violate the GDPR by including the use of so-called robo-firing, research shows.

Latest News

  1. EU suggests visa-bans on Israeli settlers, following US example
  2. EU ministers prepare for all-night fiscal debate
  3. Spain's Nadia Calviño backed to be EIB's first female chief
  4. Is there hope for the EU and eurozone?
  5. Crunch talks seek breakthrough on EU asylum overhaul
  6. Polish truck protest at Ukraine border disrupts war supplies
  7. 'Green' banks lend most to polluters, reveals ECB
  8. Tense EU-China summit showdown unlikely to bear fruit

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  3. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  4. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  5. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  6. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  3. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  4. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us