The event gathered experts from the European Parliament, from civil society, as well as key stakeholders in the ecosystem of digital participation and innovation. They shared their remarks on recent evolutions in the EU policies as well as their experience from the field and examples on how to efficiently counter increasing disinformation and hate speech online.
Adrien Duguet, Tomáš Kriššák, Evelien Nieuwenburg
Alexis Prokopiev and Anja Wyrobek
The following debate proves particularly crucial in times of the EU institutions’ reaction on rising hybrid threats aiming at our democratic systems and institutions. This issue is of high concern for ACTE’s members. They actively work on tools that strengthen democracy and allow for more innovative solutions in that space.
ACTE is also a Democratic Shield task force member. The top priority for the Shield’s task force remains the urgent need to address the challenges of disinformation and democratic backsliding, as well as the misuse of technology.
ACTE and Make.org are delighted that this initiative was complemented by an official proposition of the EU Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen who joined the call for creating a European Democracy Shield to counter disinformation and information manipulation, or even foreign interference online (amongst other matters).
In the Democratic Shield Task Force’s vision paper, we recommend to leverage digital technologies for verification and combat of disinformation and foreign interference. Among other recommendations, we especially point out a need for providing meaningful action against disinformation and call for improved citizen participation in discussions on this key subject. Furthermore, the European Commission shall enhance accessibility of platforms that allow citizens’ consultations on the EU level.
Advanced AI tools to detect and counter disinformation and to cross-reference information with verified facts shall be supported and enhance for an effective use.
Finally, protection of journalists, and freedom of speech in general, are crucial to sustain the resilience of European democratic systems. The European Parliament equally recognised the utmost urgency of the issue of hybrid threats by setting up a Special committee on the European Democracy Shield.
The latter shall help to raise awareness about the problem and provide high-level responses to efficiently tackle the issue from the legislative and regulatory point of view.
