The European Union has announced an increase in the fight against misinformation, primarily related to the coronavirus pandemic, and has again accused Russia and China of involvement in the deliberate dissemination of false information, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the European Commission.
“During the crisis, the EU has stepped up its efforts to educate citizens about risks and improved international cooperation to counter misinformation” , – the document says.
In particular, messages published by the European Commission refuting allegedly inaccurate information gained more than seven million views. In addition, the EU foreign service together with the European Commission strengthened work in third countries, especially those that border the EU. “Foreign actors and some countries, in particular Russia and China, carried out operations to spread influence and disinformation campaigns aimed at the EU, neighboring countries and other regions of the world,” the document says. The statement claims that European services managed to identify and publish 550 facts of misinformation allegedly from “pro-Kremlin sources” on a special website.
When asked about the possible EU reaction to the spread of misinformation, EU diplomat head Josep Borrel said that Europeans should provide their citizens with a decent alternative.
“We can fight against the disseminated information only by providing citizens with an alternative, demonstrating the contrast between what is being said and reality”, – Borrel said at a press conference in Brussels.
According to him, “Russian and Chinese authorities have always denied that disinformation centers are connected with political power.”