Code of Practice to fight online disinformation
Online platforms, advertisers and advertising industry present Commissioner Mariya Gabriel i with concrete steps to fight disinformation
Representatives of online platforms and the advertising industry handed over to Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Mariya Gabriel individual roadmaps, which outline concrete steps to implement the Code of Practice to fight online disinformation, agreed on 26 September.
Commissioner Mariya Gabriel said: “I have asked the industry to put forward tangible steps to fight disinformation in the Code. The commitments therein represent a first positive outcome of the Commission's approach to tackle online disinformation. It won't be enough to have the Code only on paper, the latter needs to be effectively implemented and followed by actions. I will closely monitor the progress made and assess, by the end of the year, if sufficient headway has been made or whether further actions are required, especially in view of the upcoming European elections.”
The individual roadmaps outlined in the Code contain concrete actions by the platforms to fight disinformation in all EU Member States. Online platforms will for instance make political advertising more transparent, offer some training for political groups and election authorities or intensify their cooperation with fact-checkers.
The Commission will support the implementation of these roadmaps ahead of the EU elections in May 2019. Following the European Council conclusions of June 2018 and the State of the Union address, the Commission and the European External Action Service will present a joint action plan to fight disinformation, focusing on strategic communication policy, by the end of the year.
Related links
Online platforms and advertising industry roadmaps to implement the Code of Practice on Disinformation