The European Commission In Its Focus To Address False News

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The European Commission in its focus to address false news

Introduction

In order to evaluate whether the European Commission’s approach to address false news is appropriate, this document will follow the SWOT methodology. To do this, a historical description of how European institutions have addressed this recent and contemporary phenomenon will be made first, attached to the era of post-truth, where everyone owns their own truth. Then the main problems involved in this phenomenon and the weaknesses that the methods used by the European Commission entail will be seen. And finally, determine the strengths and opportunities that the methods used by this institution can generate to control the indiscriminate diffusion of fake news and the misinformation that they cause.

Developing

The struggle of the European Commission against Fake News and misinformation

The fight against the News Fakes, as already mentioned above, occurs due to their exorbitant increase during the 2015 presidential campaigns, where the Russian government of manipulating them in favor of the current present Donal Trump Trump was accused. According to this, appearing from March 20, 2015 with the European Council meeting formally begins the fight against misinformation and "News Fakes". As a result of this event is the creation of East Stratcom Team (Communication Strategy Team for the East), under the European External Action Service to create an action plan against misinformation campaigns from Russia. The main objectives of this Action Plan were to strengthen the capacities of the European Union to face all the deceptive and intentional content from the outside and outside the interior of this.

In November 2016, given the lack of resources of said institution, the European Parliament decides to strengthen this group making it a unit within the foreign service that in order to guard the neighboring countries of the East and South. On the other hand, in 2017, the European Commission and the main data hostel service providers such as Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Twitter among others, decided to create a code of conduct to combat diffusion through the Internet of hate speeches , as is the case with xenophobia or homophobia, within the European contine.

Within the main proposals of this initiative, it is established that “companies have clear and effective procedures to examine the notifications related to illegal incitement to hate that occur within the framework of the services they provide, so that they can withdraw or disable access to said content.”(Ciréfice, 2018, p 125). On the other hand, it was also proposed that companies monitor repeated manifestations of incitement to hate against minorities to disable access to said content, as well as promote educational campaigns to sensitize users about this phenomenon and how to combat it.

Likewise, the European Parliament presented a proposal for resolution against false news on August 31, 2017, where it seeks to promote a legislative framework on them, where responsibility is attributed to the managers of the online platforms where said content is published, No excuses to users of technically possible and absolutely necessary controls. According to this, for October 26 of the same year, the European Commission responded to the proposal of Parliament, launches a popular consultation to measure the opinion of citizens in the face of this phenomenon, in addition to establishing a high -level group, where Several conferences on misinformation and “fake news” were made in order to evaluate the problem and see what possible solutions in this phenomenon. From there, four principles of references come out to address this issue, mentioned in the previous articles:

  •  In the first place, increase transparency with respect to the origin of the information and the way of producing, sponsoring it, disseminating and directing it, to allow citizens to evaluate the online content they access and reveal possible attempts to manipulate the opinion.
  • Second, promote the diversity of information to allow citizens to make informed decisions based on critical thinking, through support for high quality journalism, media literacy and rebalancing the relationship between creators and information distributors.
  •  Third, to promote the credibility of the information by providing an indication of its reliability, in particular with the help of reliable alerters; and improving the traceability of information and authentication of influential information suppliers.
  • Fourth, create inclusive solutions. Sensitization, greater media literacy, a broad participation of interested parties and the cooperation of public authorities, online platforms, advertisers, reliable alerters, journalists and media groups are necessary aspects to achieve effective solutions term. (European Commission, 2018, P 7)

 

On the other hand, in the text entitled a multidimensional approach for the misinformation published by High Level Group on Fake News And Online Dissinformation (2018), establishes another 5 fundamental pillars as rectors to find the solution to the treated problem which are: increase the Transparency level of the news found on the Internet; Promote educational processes for computer literacy in order to counteract misinformation and promote that users do not spread false news in digital environments; create technological tools that help both users and journalists to face this problem; Take care and maintain the diversity and freedom of virtual environments and the media in the European Union; And finally, maintain this phenomenon in continuous research in order to adjust the action plans according to the social, cultural, economic and technological contexts that are happening.

Within the action plan that suggests this group, a self-regulation approach is sought, where those involved, both users, online platforms, govern under a code of conduct that is based on ten regulatory principles, which show the individual responsibilities of Each of the actors in the conflict:

  1. Platforms must adapt their advertising policies, including adhesion to the beginning of "following money", while avoiding incentives that lead to misinformation, to discourage the dissemination and amplification of misinformation for progress. These policies should be based on clear, transparent and non -discriminatory criteria.
  2. Platforms must guarantee transparency and public responsibility regarding the processing of users’ data for advertising placements, with due respect for privacy, freedom of expression and pluralism of the environment.
  3. Platforms must ensure that sponsored content, including political advertising, is distinguished appropriately from other content.
  4. Platforms should take the necessary measures to allow access to data that comply with privacy for verification and research activities.
  5.  Platforms must make advanced configurations and controls available to their users so that they can customize their online experience.
  6. The platforms should, in cooperation with the public and private European media, adopt, where appropriate, effective measures to improve the visibility of reliable news and facilitate user access to them to them.
  7. When appropriate, the trend news should, if technically feasible, are accompanied by related news suggestions.
  8.  The platforms should, when appropriate, provide friendly tools with users to allow users to connect with reliable sources to verify facts and allow users to exercise their right to answer.
  9.  Platforms that apply marking and trust systems that depend on users must design safeguards against their users’ abuse.
  10.  Platforms should cooperate through artificial intelligence, providing relevant data on the operation of their services, including data for independent research and general information on algorithms in order to find a common approach to address the dissemination and amplification of misinformation. (High Level Group on Fake News and Online Dissinformation, 2018, P 32-33) 

 

Through this code it seeks to promote transparency within virtual platforms that store a large amount of data such as social networks. Likewise, for the above to be fulfilled, in the Document of the High Level Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation, the intention is evidenced and consolidation is recommended among the actors, which are involved in this problem to guarantee compliance, with the objective to create an institution that I monitored and continually reviewed that the code and the future laws legisating the parliament are complied with.

Threats and weaknesses of the European Commission approach in the fight against misinformation and fake news

In order to give a judgment on whether or not it is appropriate the way in which the European Union commission addresses the false news and the increase in xenophobia starting from it, it is necessary in the first instance to understand the main problems that arise when trying to fight This phenomenon, which as mentioned in the previous articles, is not new, but it has grown exponentially with the use of the Internet in contemporary times.

According to the European Commission (2018) the most difficult issues to attack, when it seeks That, without software number that allows you to create or manipulate images, develop and copy web pages, and disseminate this information is so great that it is very difficult to control, especially by the anonymity that the Internet implies. The second big problem that is found to combat this phenomenon is the way in which the diffusion of false news through social networks is extended. There are three factors that encourage this diffusion: the first is the use of algorithms by online search engines and social networks, which use criteria, which allow prioritizing the visualization of information incurred in types of businesses where more importance is given to the He contains personal and sensationalist that attracts attention and generates a greater number of "visits". In addition, the exchange of information between users and its proliferation indirectly increases misinformation. The second factor is the strategy used of virtual advertising, since, it is based on an algorithm that allows real -time advertising to each user according to their navigation history, which benefits the sensationalist content, which appeals to Emotions and contributes to misinformation. And, the third factor is the technological development that feeds this phenomenon through the creation of “Bots” or zombies computers, which are automated services that artificially simulate users to disseminate this type of content.

The third big problem that the European Union commission finds are the same users due to the lack of critical thinking that is capable of filtering the information that is of little trust. The great diffusion of misinformation occurs massively thanks to social networks so that each individual can share indiscriminately without confirming that the source of it is reliable or reliable. The fourth is to determine how to establish a clear distinction between what is equivalent to false information, which is considered by the legislation of the European Union as false, and the one outside the scope of the law and other institutions. This problem is one of the most complicated, since, the entire bureaucratic apparatus and ethical debates interferes with finding such limits.

However, these problems constitute the weaknesses and threats that the European Commission’s action plan has to combat misinformation, since, in this matter, not only Europe but everyone, is in an early age in which You learn how to deal with this phenomenon. In other words, there are still legislative, technological and cultural limits that prevent a complete realization of said action plan. According to this, it can be thought that this is designed to be willing in the long term.

Strengths and opportunities of the European Commission approach in the fight against misinformation and fake news

Faced with each weakness and threat there is also a strength and an opportunity that can be left, not in the short term, but in the long term the approach of the European Commission. This section emphasizes the open debate that is currently given in the face of regulation or self-regulation in societies with democratic government systems, and, to mass education as a remedy against false news.

Regarding the first issue mentioned above, you can see how the European Commission has a reliable concern for not to bring together the freedom within the Internet, therefore, let the online platforms regulate and control the information with content that promotes the hate or deception. Likewise, according to international treaties there are only three types of speeches which can be suppressed or repressed by the State: “Propaganda in favor of war; the apology of national, racial or religious hatred that is constituting incitement to violence66; and child pornography.”(Ciréfice, 2018, P 136). However, it is a favorable fact that this phenomenon is thought under the jurisdiction of a democratic society, and one, an authoritarian and totalitarian, where it would more privilege the control and direct regulation of the State, without mediation of private companies and users. Therefore, says expert Yannic Blaschke. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right. And that, of course, curves the type of response that can give to misinformation. Because what you definitely do not want to end in any way is a ministry of truth, where public authorities are giving the evaluation that this is true, this is not so. As he says, it is a fundamental right. And it is part of a vital society that people make use of that right and can use that right. So, if it limits the answer to this information, I would say no. Because any response that represses this freedom of expression too much, would be an answer that creates a complete range of other problems with which you do not want to finish.  On the other hand, he is structural burning of both the four pillars with which the European Commission’s action plans are governed, as well as the 10 points of the behavior code, they reveal a permanent interest in a long -term solution where they are necessarily It implies education in the population focused on imparting an autonomous and critical thought. For this point it is worth mentioning the testimony of the expert Andrés Salazar who says, that the best solution for the fake news is a pedagogical system that aware of this problem and prepares the careans so as not to fall against misinformation. But one of the key concepts here is, I would say, in the long term because it is not just about addressing false news, but what this fight could imply. So I can’t imagine now as a way to fight it in the short term. I would focus rather stronger and more active public spaces where people can discuss this type of issues in a more rational way. And one of the main challenges here is education. That would be my priority. 

Conclusions

According to the previous articles and what is found in the present, it can be concluded that the phenomenon of the "fake news" is quite worrying internationally because it tends to strengthen the speech around hate towards minorities, such as xenophobia. Likewise, technological advancement and excessive dissemination of false news by social networks generates debates that democratic governments weakens, since, it makes them question about an elementary principle for all democracy: "Freedom of expression".

The debate on the regulation and control of information, either, on the Internet, or in the physical media is a worrying problem that implies a political, philosophical and ethical debate, since it generates important setbacks in fundamental rights. However, it is clear that the solution to this problem lies in education and the formation of individuals critically who can decide for themselves and what is true, instead of a parliament, a platform or a company private.

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