Toughen Disinformation Policies, EC Asks Online Players

Europe must up its game against fake news, European Commission officials said Wednesday. The EC published guidance on how to improve the 2018 code of practice. Recommendations address shortcomings identified in a 2020 review and lessons from COVID-19 disinformation monitoring. The EC wants the code reinforced by: (1) More participation by a wider range of relevant players, such as emerging platforms and the online advertising sector. (2) Demonetization of disinformation. (3) More comprehensive coverage of current and emerging forms of manipulative behavior. (4) Enabling users to better understand and flag disinformation. (5) More fact-checking and better access to data for researchers. (6) Better monitoring of results of the industry actions. The EC urged signers to develop a transparency center. Participants have until fall to come up with a revised draft code. It's needed to make online platforms and others address “the systemic risks of their services and algorithmic amplification,” stop policing themselves alone and prevent money being made on disinformation, while preserving free speech, said Values and Transparency Vice President Vera Jourova. Google and Facebook said they're assessing the guidance and are committed to making the code a success. It “became a true asset in the fight against COVID-19 disinformation and created strong cooperation between regulators and platforms,” Facebook said. “Regionally consistent co-regulatory standards are a crucial element in maintaining an open Internet, ensuring that platforms of all sizes can operate around agreed norms,” emailed Twitter Vice President-Public Policy Sinead McSweeney. “We need platform regulation by legislation and oversight,” not voluntary codes of practice, said European Parliament Member Patrick Breyer, of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance and Germany. He's preparing the report by the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee on the EC-proposed Digital Services Act (see 2012150022).