The European Union has just signed an agreement with several technological giants to establish a code of conduct aimed at combating disinformation. It will be governed by the Digital Services Act, which should come into force soon.
44 lines of conduct
This code was notably motivated by the global situation and the increasingly dangerous role that disinformation is taking on in the world. Used by Russia as propaganda, it was also implicated in the election of Donald Trump and had serious consequences during the Covid-19 pandemic. ” This new anti-disinformation code comes at a time when Russia is using disinformation as a weapon in its military aggression against Ukraine, but also when we are witnessing attacks on democracy more broadly. said Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová in a press release.
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This code is in fact an update of the 2018 Code of Practice on Disinformation. However, many guidelines have been added; for example, signatory companies will have to demonetize disinformation sites by removing their advertising revenue, reduce the number of bots and fake accounts used to spread false information or work closely with independent fact checkers to verify information sources . The signatories will also have to fight against the proliferation of deepfakes and identity theft, specifies The world.
In addition, users will need to have access to more obvious tools for reporting misinformation and accessing “ sources of authority “. ” Platforms should no longer receive a single euro from the dissemination of disinformation “said Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market. If false content will not necessarily be deleted, those who distribute it will therefore no longer be able to benefit financially from putting it online.
Since the 2016 presidential election, misinformation has had serious consequences around the world. Photography: Pixabay
The American tech giants almost all there
Platforms that have volunteered to comply with the new code will be required to submit an initial report explaining how they have implemented it early next year. Among them, we find the giants Meta, Microsoft, Google, TikTok, Twitch or even Twitter, companies which, since the pandemic, have multiplied their efforts to fight against misinformation, sometimes in vain.
” The fight against the dissemination of false information is a complex and constantly evolving societal problem. We continue to invest heavily in teams and technology, and look forward to increased collaboration to tackle this together. tweeted Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta.
A Twitter spokesperson also said the company welcomes the code update: Through and beyond code, Twitter remains committed to tackling misinformation and disinformation, as we continue to evaluate and evolve our approach in this ever-changing environment. “. Google and TikTok have also reacted favorably to the signing of this new code of conduct.
Among the signatories, however, there is an absentee and not the least, Apple. However, the apple brand has a flourishing advertising business. Telegram is also missing, as messaging is used to spread propaganda in the context of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, reports The Verge.
Disinformation, competition… The EU wants to be a pioneer
If adhering to the 2018 code was a voluntary process, the one that has just been established will be governed by the Digital Services Act (DSA): “To be credible, the new Code of Practice will be supported by the DSA – including for sanctions heavy and dissuasive. Very large platforms (Editor’s note: which have more than 45 million users in the EU) that repeatedly violate the Code and do not apply risk mitigation measures correctly risk fines of up to ‘to 6% of their global turnover,’ said Thierry Breton.
The DSA defines new rules for the removal of illegal content. It will also require the biggest platforms to carry out risk assessments on content that regulators consider potentially dangerous. ” We now have very important commitments to reduce the impact of online disinformation and much more robust tools to measure how they are implemented across the EU, in all countries and in all his languages said Věra Jourová.
With this new code of conduct, the European Union is positioning itself as a pioneer in the fight against dangerous content and, more generally, in the regulation of technological giants. Moreover, its other major law, the Digital Markets Act, aims to combat the monopoly exercised by big tech in Europe.