The EU fines platforms that, according to them, are not censoring the so-called 'disinformation'.
The panic of European leaders over free information that may go against their interests, or may distort at their discretion the upcoming election campaign, will in the end cause many companies not to set up in Europe or to leave directly.
The European Union is upping the ante against election disinformation, targeting large platforms such as X, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and Facebook with the Digital Services Act (DSA).
These could face fines of up to 6% of their global revenue if they fail to mitigate election-related disinformation, especially that generated by artificial intelligence or deepfakes.
The sinister, as well as comical, Thierry Breton (stay with his face), the commissioner in charge, has emphasized the need for dedicated risk assessment teams in 23 languages and cooperation with cybersecurity officers in all 27 member states.
This strategy, which aims to protect electoral integrity against threats such as voter suppression, fake news and external influence, reflects a tough stance bordering on censorship and content moderation in a key election year. Who owns the truth ? Who decides what is 'disinformation' ?