The EU Commission wants to make platforms like Facebook and Twitter accountable in the fight against fake news.
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Twitter and Co. must sign the updated code of conduct on disinformation.
If corporations like Google, Alphabet or Twitter do not take action to combat fake accounts and fake news on their platforms in the future, they could face heavy fines from the EU. This emerges from a document on the updated code of conduct of the European Union, which is available to the Reuters news agency.
Updated Code of Conduct on Disinformation
The updated code of conduct on disinformation is part of the EU’s tougher crackdown on fake news. The document is said to be presented on Thursday. The voluntary code was introduced four years ago. Now he is to divide the responsibility between the regulatory authorities and the Internet platforms.
Companies face heavy fines
“The relevant signatories will adopt, strengthen and implement clear policies regarding improper manipulative behaviors and practices on their services, based on the latest understanding of malicious actors’ behavior and Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs),”
says the document. Companies that fail to meet these obligations face fines of up to 6 percent of their worldwide sales. After signing the code, companies have six months to implement the guidelines.
More transparency in political advertising
In addition to taking down fake accounts and deepfakes, platforms like Facebook and Twitter must also crack down on ads that contain disinformation. Greater transparency in political advertising is also part of the code.
