The spread of disinformation online is a critical challenge for online service providers and for society at large. The EU Code of Practice on disinformation was signed by DOT Europe and by several of its members in 2018, and represents the first ever voluntary industry agreement to a set of self-regulatory standards to fight disinformation. Our industry recognises their role in contributing to solutions to the challenges posed by disinformation, while being mindful of the fundamental right to freedom of expression, and the delicate balance which any efforts to limit the spread and impact of otherwise lawful content must strike. In committing to this initiative, the signatories of the Code of Practice have been publishing monthly self-assessment reports, detailing how they fight against the spread of disinformation on their services.
The European Democracy Action Plan and the Digital Services Act will also intersect with the signatories’ actions on disinformation and the existing framework to help combat disinformation. Recently, the pandemic saw a surge in COVID-19-related disinformation. Signatories therefore published additional specific reports, enabling the European Commission to monitor the signatories’ efforts in tackling this specific type of disinformation.
DOT Europe, the leading voice of digital, online and tech, and a signatory of the Code, has proven an efficient and valuable stakeholder in leading the conversation on disinformation. You will find below our latest publications related to the Code of Practice and online disinformation.