Debate: Tackling Covid- disinformation and the impact on freedom of expression
Date: THURSDAY, 18 JUNE 2020
Speaker: Věra Jourová
Language: EN

This is why we decided to prepare the communication and adopt the communication, which has the title ‘Getting the Facts Right’. It was necessary because we needed to inform about what have been the steps taken up to now against disinformation because, in the COVID—19 context we didn’t start from scratch fighting against disinformation. We already had the Code of Practice and we had the Action Plan, and its second purpose was to come up with a to—do list for all involved, especially the platforms, to step up their work. In the communication we comprehensively address three things: the sources of disinformation, its channels and amplifiers, and also the targets. Josep talked about the foreign sources of disinformation and I am glad about this because I believe that a geopolitical EU can only materialise if we are assertive, but we also have to put our own house in order. We need to beef up our strategy on communication. We have to get our story out about Europe and EU support during the coronavirus crisis, and it is high time we step up on this and do not allow others to occupy that space. Now to the channels of communication and disinformation – especially the online platforms. I welcome the measures taken by them in this crisis; their strong commitment is heavily needed. I believe that the fact that we worked with the platforms, and we designed with them the code of practice on disinformation, helped to roll out new policies more quickly. We agreed with the platforms that they would promote links to the World Health Organization and health authorities and remove ads that offered fake medicines or inflate prices for normal products or give very dangerous advice, which we already heard from Joseph. These actions brought results. For example, Google blocked or removed globally over 80 million coronavirus—related ads. But there is room for improvement and our code was just a first step. We need to ensure transparency and accountability. Citizens need to know how information is reaching them and where it comes from. Our joint communication calls on the platforms to step up their efforts and to report monthly on their policies and actions to address COVID—19—related disinformation – not to report to the Commission, to report to the public, so that people can read about what’s happening online. The targets – well, it’s about us, it’s about the citizens of Europe. Lying is neither new nor that scary in itself. What scares me is that we believe in those lies too easily. This is why we need to become more resilient and critical as a society. We need to support free and independent media – the fact—checkers and researchers. And we have to step up our education. We will have the Digital Education Action Plan soon, adopted by the Commission, and there will be a very strong chapter on how to become more resilient and increase our critical thinking through education.  We will support fact-checking and research activities through the recently established European Digital Media Observatory. In this context, later this month, we will launch a EUR 9 million call for research hubs in the different Member States.  Also, we have to speak in this context about the freedom of speech, which remains our basic principle. Laws which define criminal penalties for spreading disinformation in too broad terms, and with disproportionate sanctions, can damage accountability mechanisms, which are just as important as ever. It can make the work of journalists more difficult, cause self—censorship and damage freedom of expression. This is not the European way. It is bad for democracies and it is self—defeating. Our best defence against disinformation are free and plural media, informed and active citizens and resilient democratic institutions in which they can trust.  I really want to insist on this because I believe this is a distinctive part of our policies. I do not want to create any Ministry of Truth. I used to live in a system, before 1989, with only one official truth, no pluralism of media, opinion, or even thought.  A competitive market of ideas enabled by free speech is essential in democracies. Just as in traditional competition policy where consumers benefit from fair competition and a level playing field, citizens benefit from fair competition of free speech. To conclude, the communication is the first building block of this new Commission in response to disinformation. We are working on the Digital Services Act and the European Democracy Action Plan where we will address illegal content and harmful content like disinformation.  In this context, I really appreciate that we can work on this together with the committee which you established in Parliament, because I believe that common work can bring good fruit.