
Strasbourg (dpa) – The European Parliament has expressed serious concerns about potential benefits for Russia arising from the relaxation of fact-checking policies on social media platforms. In a recent press release, the Parliament emphasized its alarm over announcements made by social media companies that could facilitate the global dissemination of Russian disinformation.
In a recent vote, 480 members of the European Parliament supported a resolution addressing this issue, while 58 opposed it and 48 abstained. The resolution urges the European Commission and member states to rigorously enforce the Digital Services Act in light of these changes from Meta and previous shifts by X. This enforcement is viewed as a crucial aspect of combating Russian disinformation; however, it’s important to note that the resolution itself is not legally enforceable.
The Digital Services Act (DSA) aims to limit the influence of major online platforms and ensure consistent action against hate speech and other harmful content. Non-compliance by these platforms can result in substantial penalties, including fines that can reach up to six percent of a platform’s total global annual revenue.
Meta’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has announced significant alterations to how online content will be moderated. Meta, which owns Facebook, plans to terminate its partnerships with fact-checkers in the United States and introduce a new system akin to “Community Notes” from X, where users can provide comments and feedback on content. (January 23)













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