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Russian interference within the elections in Romania, Moldova, and Georgia has proven that the EU is shedding the battle in opposition to on-line disinformation, mentioned Alice Stollmeyer from the assume tank Defend Democracy. Content material moderation is just not sufficient; broader actions are wanted, corresponding to stricter sanctions for hybrid assaults, the skilled assessed in an interview with PAP.
Though the European Union has adopted new mechanisms to fight on-line disinformation, together with the Digital Providers Act (DSA) and the Code of Observe on Disinformation, and the President of the European Fee, Ursula von der Leyen, introduced that one of many new Fee’s priorities can be the European Democracy Defend, a technique to defend democracy in opposition to international influences, latest election-related occasions in Romania and likewise in Moldova and Georgia have proven that the Union is at the moment shedding the struggle in opposition to on-line disinformation.
In Romania, the TikTok messenger was accused of favoring the pro-Russian radical right-wing presidential candidate Calin Georgescu throughout the marketing campaign. Such practices precipitated an unknown politician to abruptly achieve reputation and win the primary spherical of elections, however the end result was ultimately annulled. Beforehand, within the fall, Russia made unsuccessful makes an attempt to intervene within the presidential elections in Moldova, amongst others, by conducting on-line disinformation campaigns defaming the then (and newly re-elected) President Maia Sandu and spreading pretend information concerning the EU and the West. Moscow additionally successfully interfered within the October parliamentary elections in Georgia, received by the Russia-friendly social gathering Georgian Dream.
Based on Stollmeyer, head of the Brussels assume tank Defend Democracy, the EU likes to boast about its achievements within the struggle in opposition to disinformation, however in actuality, it can’t present tangible information proving its effectiveness. “Let’s ask ourselves questions: has the variety of lies and disinformation messages on-line decreased in latest months? And the variety of pretend accounts and manipulative campaigns?” requested the analyst in an interview with PAP.
In her opinion, so long as the EU doesn’t start to handle the causes of disinformation, reasonably than its manifestations, it won’t be efficient. “We want broader actions. Disinformation is simply one of many conflict instruments utilized by the Kremlin. In Moldova and Georgia, way more than simply disinformation was used. It was a complete spectrum of hybrid assaults,” Stollmeyer famous.
The skilled famous that the EU can’t afford for the European Democracy Defend, introduced by von der Leyen, to be restricted solely to the struggle in opposition to disinformation. “Even when we prolong the scope of this technique additionally to international influences and interferences, because the European Exterior Motion Service (EEAS) needs, we’ll nonetheless miss the aim. After greater than a decade of institutional hide-and-seek, specializing in fact-checking and blocking content material that has already appeared, we must always know that it isn’t sufficient. More practical and sooner enforcement of the DSA and digital information safety rules is an efficient begin, however we additionally want a digital integrity regulation that can curb polarizing algorithms and design social media platforms in an addictive approach for customers,” argued the analyst.
Stollmeyer acknowledged that the EU should additionally urgently create a European digital infrastructure prioritizing public good, undertake a complete coverage for protection in opposition to hybrid threats, and hyperlink the European Democracy Defend with a brand new EU readiness technique. “This may permit the Union to deploy all instruments to fight threats to democracy,” she assessed.
Stollmeyer warned that motion should be taken rapidly as a result of disinformation assaults will solely intensify and use new applied sciences corresponding to AI, chatbots, or digital actuality. “The issue will intensify as a result of our adversaries, that’s anti-democratic forces, discover it more and more simpler to make use of know-how as a weapon. Protection ministers and intelligence companies additionally warn in opposition to rising sabotage makes an attempt throughout Europe and assess that Russia might escalate its imperial conflict in opposition to a number of NATO international locations inside just a few years. If the way forward for our democracies depends upon our readiness and resilience, we should begin working in the present day,” she appealed. (28.12.2024)
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