European Commission member claims its “fact-checking” tech is already influencing the behavior of EU citizens

05/27/2024 / By Arsenio Toledo

A leading member of the European Commission (EC) – the main executive body of the European Union (EU) – claims that its fact-checking infrastructure has already influenced the behavior of European citizens.

Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova made this claim, stating: “We believe our fact-checking is already influencing user behavior.”

“We see that when people realize something is wrong with the material, they often refrain from sharing it with friends on social media,” she said. (Related: ELECTION INTERFERENCE: Google launching “anti-misinformation” campaign in five European countries ahead of EU Parliament elections in June.)

The EU has embraced the use of “fact-checking” technology to deal with the alleged spread of so-called mis- and disinformation. To help with the use of this tech, the EU has established the European Digital Media Observatory and introduced new digital regulations, fact-checking systems and legislation to counter the spread of so-called misinformation through artificial intelligence (AI).

In proving her claim that the EU’s fact-checking tech has already worked for the benefit of the EC, she quoted studies which reveal that as many as 70 to 80 percent of people in the EU “are aware of the problem” of misinformation. These studies do not address how susceptible people are to supposedly false content or their tendency to believe certain stories over others.

Jourova is a strong believer in using modern technology to expose so-called disinformation and educate users to spot “deepfake” images and videos that may be generated by AI.

EU claims concerns about disinformation are prevalent as Parliament vote approaches

Jourova made this claim during her EC-sponsored “Democracy Tour,” wherein she is visiting several EU nations to raise awareness about disinformation and the creation of deepfake images and videos aimed at misleading voters ahead of the EU Parliament election.

Jourova claims that the forthcoming election, scheduled to take place between June 6 and 9, is a critical test of the EU’s ability to counter so-called disinformation. She expressed concern over Russia specifically and the Kremlin’s alleged increased efforts to spread false narratives to influence the outcome of the election.

“Russia has a specific strategy for each member state. We can expect new alarming stories about how migrants threaten our peaceful lives, or that the European Parliament will quickly ban combustion cars,” Jourova said. She added that Russia’s alleged disinformation campaign often mixes lies with small amounts of truth, making them convincing and dangerous.

She added that while a lot of the narratives supposedly spread by Russian actors are not new – such as attempting to convince Europeans to abandon support for Ukraine – they aim to undermine trust in the EU and the solidarity between member-nations.

Furthermore, she noted that the claims are being aided by new technologies, like social media and digital channels. Jourova even suggested that Russia is using gaming channels to disseminate propaganda.

“Only after the election will we be able to assess whether our measures have been effective,” said Jourova. “I want to warn Europeans: You will be the target of disinformation.”

Watch this episode of “The Highwire” with Del Digtree discussing how the European Parliament censors its conservative members.

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