Receive big tech to curb misinformation, without hurting press freedom, media tells EU
16 June, 2020
Broadcasters, publishers and journalists called on the European Commission on Mon to implement “much more robust measures” to combat disinformation on internet systems such as for example Google and Facebook.
A joint declaration, signed notably by the European Federation of Journalists, the European Publishers Council and the Association of Professional Television in Europe (Work), follows a presentation on Wednesday by Brussels of latest procedures against disinformation, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The signatories say they are “alarmed by the rise in online disinformation through the pandemic”, which has had “a devastating effect on public health efforts”.
They state the European “code of good practice”, signed in 2018 by internet platforms, “has shown to be inadequate to address the source and drivers of disinformation propagated online”.
“There can be an urgent dependence on effective instruments to better assess and successfully tackle the issue,” they write, saying that Europe is over-reliant in the “good will of systemic actors”.
Among the steps urged is a “meaningful” sanctions regime to make certain that the co-signatories of the code of practice have an incentive to act.
These measures should be applied in a way that “boosts instead of penalises media” and should make sure that “journalistic freedom, fundamental legal rights and editorial freedom are guaranteed”.
Finally, they ask that the dialogue with the web platforms be completed in a far more “structured” way, while “a particular number of commissioners” deal immediately with platforms.
The EU last week called on the internet giants to accomplish more to fight the “huge wave of disinformation” caused by the pandemic, by publishing a month to month report on the actions implemented.
The vice president of the EU commission responsible for values and transparency, Vera Jourova, said the reports would need to relate to the type of the disinformation, the dimension of the network involved, its geopolitical origin and the mark audience.
The approach is based on the good will of platforms, but she said it had been in their interest to get the “confidence” of their users.
The pandemic has recently led the EU to ask platforms to put forward information from health authorities just like the WHO, also to withdraw advertisements for fake medicines in particular.
Source: www.deccanchronicle.com
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