IT Giants Report to the EU on Their Efforts to Combat Russian Propaganda

All major online platforms, including Google, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok, which have signed the Code of Practice on Disinformation, have provided the EU with their second report on the implementation of the Code of Practice.

This was announced by the European Commission's.

Disinformation from Russia has had an impact on elections in European Union countries. This statement was made by the Deputy Head of the European Commission, European Commissioner for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, at a press conference in Brussels while presenting the internet giants' report on combating propaganda and disinformation.

Major internet platforms such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok reported to the European Commission on measures taken to reduce the spread of disinformation over the past six months.

For example, from January to April 2023, YouTube removed over 400 channels and 10 blogs associated with an organized campaign linked to Russia's state-sponsored "Internet Research Institute."

Google removed advertisements from nearly 300 internet portals linked to Russian state propaganda, Jourová reported.

Meta stated that over 40 million pieces of content on Facebook and over 1.1 million on Instagram were fact-checked. It was noted that 95% of users encountering content with a warning that the information was unverified decided not to view it. Additionally, 37% of Facebook users and 38% of Instagram users who intended to share unverified content decided to cancel their posts upon receiving a warning.

TikTok is engaged in fact-checking content in Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, and 17 European languages. According to the social media platform's data, 30% of users cancel their decision to share a publication when they encounter the "unverified content" label. Furthermore, 140,635 videos with over 1 billion views were removed from the platform for violating its disinformation policy.

As reported by the Deputy Head of the European Commission, the highest proportion of Russian disinformation is found on the social network X (formerly Twitter), which, although not a signatory to the EU's anti-disinformation code, falls under the Digital Service Act, aimed at combating disinformation and stopping the spread of illegal content on the internet.

"I expect online platforms to adjust their actions in light of the fact that we are in an information warfare, and malicious actors will try to use platform design features for manipulation," the EU Commissioner noted. She also anticipates an escalation of Kremlin activity ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections.