EU Elections

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS
How Brussels hopes
to ‘shield’ June’s
election against
Moscow’s propaganda
With people spending an average of seven hours online per day and social media
being the main source of information globally, many voters in Europe are likely to
encounter disinformation campaigns — ranging from the Russian war in Ukraine
and migration to euroscepticism. That risks creating “a red carpet for Putin,” according
to EU commission vice-president Věra Jourová.
By ELENA SÁNCHEZ NICOLÁS
In the run-up to June’s Europe-wide voting,
both politicians and IT experts have
been sounding the alarm over the impact
of disinformation and the challenges
posed by artificial intelligence (AI) on the
electoral campaign — and democracy itself.
But what can be done to tackle these
threats? Are people ready to discern facts
from fiction, and are authorities taking
enough action to uphold electoral integrity?
The simple answer is that there is no easy
fix. The EU has opted for a holistic approach
involving collaboration between
governments, tech companies, media,
and civil society — under the umbrella of
a new law which still has to prove itself
in the battle against misinformation and
manipulation by artificial intelligence.
The impact of disinformation and AI fakery
is “much bigger” today than the previous
2019 European elections, prompting
“stronger vigilance” and proactive preparation
for the campaign, EU commission
vice-president Věra Jourová told EUobserver
in an interview. “We believe that
more than ever before the elections people
should have access to the facts.”
With people spending an average of seven
hours online per day and social media
being the main source of information
globally, many voters in Europe are likely
to encounter online disinformation
campaigns ranging from the Russian war
in Ukraine and migration to euroscepticism.
Russia, Jourová said, has always been
“the master of brainwashing” and the
European Parliament elections offer an
opportunity for the Kremlin to put forward
its anti-Ukraine narrative. “Putin
desperately needs us to betray Ukraine”
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