BRUSSELS: The European Union said online platforms must do more to combat disinformation, including sharing data on their efforts. The EU claimed to have tracked suspected Russian and domestic attempts to disrupt last month’s European Parliament elections.
It cites what it called evidence of a “continued and sustained” effort by Russian elements to promote extreme views and polarize local debate through disinformation spread online. EU governments and NATO allies often blame Russia for targeting elections to undermine Western democracy, which Moscow always denies.
The EU’s assessment piles pressure on the online operators and platforms to develop tools to vet websites hosting ads. Online platforms should also ramp up cooperation with fact-checking organizations, increase transparency by giving researchers access to data and governments information on the malign actors, the EU report said.
(Agencies)
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