Preparation for European Elections
In anticipation of the European elections in June, the European Commission has invited major online platforms like Meta, TikTok, and others to participate in stress-testing election guidelines. This voluntary test aims to ensure that platforms are well-equipped to handle potential risks, including disinformation campaigns, that could undermine the integrity of the EU vote.
Guidelines under the Digital Services Act
The EU executive published election guidelines last month under the Digital Services Act (DSA), targeting very large online platforms and search engines. These guidelines are designed to assist platforms in mitigating risks related to elections and their services. All online platforms with over 45 million users in the EU, such as Amazon and Google Search, are invited to participate in the upcoming workshop.
Collaborative Exercise
Participants in the stress-test exercise will engage in various scenarios, including combating disinformation campaigns. The goal is to familiarize stakeholders with each other’s roles, responsibilities, and cooperation mechanisms as outlined in the DSA and the Election Guidelines. Through this collaborative effort, the Commission aims to identify existing cooperation measures, assess their effectiveness, and address any gaps.
Industry Initiatives
Some companies have already taken proactive steps to enhance election safeguards ahead of the June vote. Meta and TikTok, for example, have established election centers dedicated to combating misinformation. These initiatives align with the broader efforts to ensure the integrity of the electoral process and protect users from deceptive content.
Expanded Application of the DSA
The Digital Services Act, which became applicable to all online platforms in February, imposes general obligations on companies, including implementing user-friendly notice and action systems, banning targeted ads for children, and enhancing transparency reporting. Additionally, the toughest provisions of the DSA will soon apply to platforms like Pornhub, Stripchat, and XVideos, which have been designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) by the Commission.
SOURCE: Ref Image from Reuters
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