Google, TikTok and Others Join EU's Anti-Disinformation Code

Facebook, TikTok, Google, Twitter, Microsoft and other technology companies are preparing to join Europe’s anti-disinformation code to curb the spread of fake news and propaganda. According to an updated “code of practice on disinformation,” a document seen by The Financial Times, big tech companies will be forced to disclose how they remove, block or curb harmful content in advertising. They will be required to share this data with all individual countries in Europe. Marketers are concerned about being caught alongside problematic content in times of crisis. On the flip side, this move by the EU is the latest effort to rein in the power of tech giants over privacy and data practices related to how people receive news and information. Any violation of the code will result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s global turnover. Top line Per the document, online platforms will be tasked with developing tools and partnering with fact-checkers to counter “harmful disinformation.” This could be removing propaganda-driven content, as well as deploying “indicators of trustworthiness” to reflect the veracity of independently verified information on topics such as the war in Ukraine and Covid-19. Rather than only providing Europe-wide data, as they currently do, big tech companies will be forced to provide a country-level breakdown of their efforts. This specificity will aid national regulators to better target bad actors of disinformation within their own borders. Apart from data, tech companies will also have to share details such as the number of bots removed, the AI used to remove fake news and the number of content moderators assigned per country. Further, platforms will also have to set tools to “identify and flag disinformation disseminated” through their services and explore ways to combine a flagging system across their platforms. "Brands [too] must take responsibility to ensure their protocols, partners and brokers are able to proactively avoid bidding for ads on sites which commercialize inaccuracies and distort facts," said Csaba Szabo, EMEA managing director at Integral Ad Science. Between the lines A voluntary code was first introduced in 2018, but the Kremlin’s propaganda following the invasion of Ukraine has added urgency to strengthen the protocols, according to Věra Jourová, the EU’s vice president for values and transparency in charge of the code. “Russia’s actions have informed to shape the anti-disinformation code,” Jourová told FT. “Once the code is operational, we will be better prepared to address disinformation, also coming from Russia.” A survey of advertising professionals found that only 8% saw fake news becoming a greater concern in 2021, down from 33% in 2020. "The signing of the new anti-disinformation code from these players means this number has the potential to fall even further," said Szabo. Bottom line An updated version is set to be published Thursday with 30 endorsers, including big tech companies and civil society groups. The code will further be enforced through Europe’s landmark Digital Services Act that mandates digital platforms more stringently police their content. "The ultimate goal is to direct ad spend toward ad space that doesn’t damage but enhances a brand’s image, the outcome of which will fund quality journalism, protect users and defund bad actors," Szabo told Adweek. Make Way for Interest-Based Targeting

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Google, TikTok and Others Join EU's Anti-Disinformation Code

Tech giants must share country-by-country data to curb fake news

Trishla Ostwal

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Trishla Ostwal