The companies behind social networks including TikTok, X, Facebook and Instagram will be forced to hire an army of fact-checkers and moderators with a collective knowledge of 24 EU languages, amid fears that European Parliament elections will be a prime target of disinformation campaigns run by Russia and others. including the extreme right, writes the British "Guardian".
The new regulations are brought by the EU Digital Act (DSA), which regulates content on social networks, followed by public consultation with civil society and special measures must be taken," said the European Union official who presented the new processes.
According to EU guidelines, tech companies will be required to take six measures, including setting up native language fact-checking teams and risk assessment units.
Content generated by artificial intelligence will have to be labeled as such.
Escalation protocols and rapid notifications to counter possible surges of disinformation before and after the June 6-9 vote must also be put in place. These systems will be tested next month.
In providing the new guidance, EU officials cited examples of fake news and weaknesses in moderation seen in elections over the past nine months as the DSA came into effect, the British newspaper reported.
The EU says it is as important to be cautious about local disinformation as it is to defend against campaigns organized by the Kremlin or any other foreign actors.
"You have to be vigilant no matter where the disinformation campaign comes from, whether it's domestic or foreign, given the geopolitical context we're in, with two war zones in our neighborhood," a senior EU official said.
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