Amid the ongoing debate around the impact of misinformation shared online and the role that social media has played in the spreading of false narratives, a new anti-disinformation push in Europe could play a big role in improving detection and response across the biggest digital media platforms.
Vs Fake News
The Financial Times reports that Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, and Twitter are all planning to sign an updated version of the EU’s ‘Anti-Disinformation Code’, which will see the implementation of new requirements and penalties dealing with misinformation and its various kinds.
As The Financial Times explains:
“According to a confidential report seen by the Financial Times, an updated “code of practice on disinformation” will force tech platforms to disclose how they’re removing, blocking, or curbing harmful content in advertising and in the promotion of content. Online platforms will have to counter “harmful disinformation” by developing tools and partnerships with fact-checkers that may include taking down propaganda, but also the inclusion of “indicators of trustworthiness” on independently verified information on issues like the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The push would essentially expand the tools currently used by the above-mentioned platforms to detect and remove misinformation, while it may also see a new regulatory body formed to set rules around what classifies as ‘misinformation’, at least within the context given. This would also put more control in the hands of government-approved groups in determining what is and what isn’t ‘fake news’, which, as seen in certain regions, can be used to quell public dissent.
Last year, Twitter was forced to block hundreds of accounts as requested by the Indian Government due to users sharing ‘inflammatory’ remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Likewise, Russia has now banned almost all non-local social media platforms over the distribution of news regarding the invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, it’s still business as usual for China’s CCP.
The implementation of laws to curb misinformation also put lawmakers in charge of determining what falls under the ‘misinformation’ banner, which seems like a positive step, at least in most cases, but can also be used negatively. To add, platforms would also be required to add a country-by-country breakdown of their efforts, as opposed to sharing wider data sets. These new regulations will eventually be incorporated into the EU’s Digital Services Act, forcing platforms to take relative action or risk facing fines up to 6% of their global turnover. The Australian, Canadian, and UK governments are all looking to implement new anti-misinformation laws as well.
The Wrap
This latest push toward a broader international approach to addressing the issue of fake news and false narratives will help ensure that digital platforms are held accountable for combating misinformation in an efficient and timely manner. Overall, it’s a good development seeing as how misinformation has had negative impacts in recent years. While arbitrary ‘global’ regulation will continue to prove difficult, these crucial first steps are important in paving the way for bigger, more far-reaching solutions.
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