EU wants Facebook, Google to give monthly reports on fake news fight

The European Union is calling on internet giants to be more accountable for the spread of fake news. 

Two senior EU officials said Wednesday that Facebook, Twitter, and Google should start producing monthly reports on their fight against misinformation, Reuters reported Wednesday. 

The comments come from EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell and the European Commission’s vice president for values and transparency, Věra Jourová, who spoke at a press conference Wednesday. 

These monthly reports should contain details on the companies’ actions to promote trustworthy content, and limit disinformation and related advertising. 

“Disinformation (…) can negatively impact the economy and undermine the response of the public authorities and therefore weaken the health measures,” Jourová said, while calling online platforms to “step up their efforts.” 

Borrell put it more bluntly, saying that “disinformation in times of coronavirus can kill.”

Jourová also said that China’s TikTok has also signed a voluntary code of conduct on how to fight disinformation. This code of conduct, which touches on transparency in political advertising, fake accounts, and demonetizing those who profit on fake news, was previously signed by Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Mozilla. 

The Commission also singled out Russia and China as sources of fake news. 

“Foreign actors and certain third countries, in particular Russia and China, have engaged in targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns in the EU, its neighbourhood, and globally,” the Commission said.