Yashashwani Chauhan, Pune
In a bid to counter the surge of online misinformation, European Union officials have called on major social media platforms to ramp up their efforts, particularly concerning the conflict in Ukraine.
European Commission Vice President, Vera Jourova, highlighted concerns over X, formerly Twitter, as having the highest proportion of misleading and false information posts among platforms that furnished reports to the EU. Jourova noted that accounts spreading disinformation tend to have larger followings and are more recent additions to the platform than those not engaged in such practices.
This follows X’s decision earlier this year to withdraw from commitments to a voluntary code of conduct addressing disinformation, a move met with scrutiny from watchdog groups and regulators. At present, adhering to this code forms part of the assessment for platforms overall compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), a set of stringent regulations for online platforms that came into effect this summer. Violations of the DSA can incur substantial fines for major social media platforms.
Reports from industry giants like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok were disclosed by the EU this week, attesting to their efforts in aligning with the code. Google reported preventing over 31 million euros in advertising revenue from reaching EU-based accounts disseminating disinformation in the first half of the year. TikTok stated the removal of over 140,000 videos, collectively garnering over one billion views, that ran afoul of their misinformation policies. Microsoft’s report highlighted the thwarting of over 6.7 million attempts to create fake accounts on LinkedIn. Additionally, Google revealed the removal of numerous channels tied to the Russia-backed disinformation group, the Internet Research Agency, during the first quarter of the year.
However, Jourova asserted that more needs to be done. She emphasized the persistent presence of Russian propaganda and disinformation across online platforms, particularly in the context of the Ukrainian conflict. According to Jourova, this is a stark reminder that the battle extends beyond physical warfare, with the Kremlin utilizing words as a weapon in digital space, including within the EU.
This situation underscores the ongoing challenge of tackling disinformation and underscores the crucial role of social media platforms in maintaining transparency and accountability in their content moderation practices.