Resist Russian disinformation as elections loom, EU tells Big Tech. On Tuesday, European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova asked Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) Google, Microsoft (MSFT.O), Meta Platforms (META.O), and TikTok to combat Russia’s “multi-million euro weapon of mass manipulation” ahead of European elections.
Recent months have seen a rise in disinformation concerning legislative elections in Slovakia on Sept. 30, Poland next month, and European Parliament elections next year.
Under the EU code of practice on misinformation, corporations, and internet platforms have reported their six-month activities to battle fake news.
“The Russian state has engaged in the war of ideas to pollute our information space with half-truths and lies to create a false image that democracy is no better than autocracy,” she told a news conference.
This is a multi-million-euro mass manipulation weapon today… “The very big platforms’ must handle this concern. We should anticipate the Kremlin and others to be active before elections.”
Russia’s Security Council dismissed claims that Moscow used misinformation to persuade voters after the 2019 European Parliament elections.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of Russia’s Wagner mercenary organization, admitted founding the Internet Research Agency, a misinformation “farm” that meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, in February.
X left the EU’s voluntary code in May but is now a “very large online platform” subject to tighter content standards under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Jourova warned it.
Elon Musk understands he’s not off the hook by quitting the code of practice since the Digital Services Act is rigorously enforced. Twitter, please follow the law, and we will monitor you, “they aid.
After its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, Russia tightened surveillance on Western social media sites and declared Facebook owner Meta guilty of “extremist activity” in March 2022.
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