The European Parliament will establish a special committee to combat disinformation.

The European Commission strengthens its measures to protect democracy and combat disinformation

The European Commission is intensifying its efforts to protect democracy, combat disinformation, and information manipulation. It urges lawmakers to support the establishment of a special committee to implement these measures, which has been named the 'European Shield of Democracy'.

This appeal was made during a discussion in the European Parliament dedicated to the problem of disinformation on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, and the threats it poses to fair elections in Europe.

'We are ready to start working on the European Shield of Democracy. I will lead this initiative, taking into account existing developments and gaps. We must identify the deficiencies and be inspired by the ideas of all relevant politicians to create a strong shield capable of overcoming new challenges and identifying information interventions, while respecting our fundamental rights,' said European Commissioner for Justice Michael McGrath.

The European Commissioner called on lawmakers to vote for the establishment of a special committee that will be responsible for implementing the European Shield of Democracy.

'The Commission remains unwavering in its goal to promote and protect democracy throughout the EU, including facilitating fair electoral processes. It is crucial that the information space deepens citizens' knowledge based on facts, not fiction. This requires debates in which all views are heard, not manipulation,' stressed the Commissioner.

The Commissioner emphasized that conducting elections is the responsibility of each individual member state, but national electoral bodies must closely cooperate to adapt national measures. Moreover, they should prepare for the upcoming regulation regarding transparency and targeting of political advertising.

Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy Hennna Virkunen revealed details of the Commission's actions aimed at examining TikTok's measures taken during Romanian elections.

'We have sufficient grounds to suspect TikTok of violating its obligations under the Association Agreement, particularly concerning the assessment and reduction of risks related to electoral processes. Therefore, the Commission has decided to initiate an investigation. We are exploring political advertising and manipulations through TikTok's recommendation system,' noted Virkunen.

In addition to TikTok, the European Commission has opened three more investigations concerning platforms X, Facebook, and Instagram.

'Regarding platform X, the investigation focuses on measures to address risks associated with public discourse and electoral processes. There are also issues related to the spread of illegal content, incitement to hatred, and dissemination of terrorist material,' explained Virkunen.

For Facebook and Instagram, the investigation will focus on their practices related to manipulative advertising, dissemination of disinformation campaigns, and visibility of political content.