The European Union (EU) has released a draft set of guidelines for tech companies to prevent the misuse of their platforms during elections. The guidelines are part of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to address systemic risks on online platforms that can have real-world negative effects on democratic societies.
The EU’s Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, stated that with the DSA, Europe is the first continent with a law to address these issues. He emphasized the importance of ensuring platforms comply with their obligations and are not misused to manipulate elections.
The draft guidelines focus on election security best practices and provide recommendations related to:
- Data access for risk research: Tech companies will be required to provide researchers with data necessary to study online platform risks.
- AI-generated content: The EU is concerned about the potential misuse of AI-generated content, such as deepfakes, during elections.
- Online campaign finance transparency: Platforms will need to ensure that online campaign finance activities are transparent and comply with electoral laws.
- Social media moderation: Tech companies will be expected to implement robust moderation policies to prevent hate speech, disinformation, and other forms of manipulation.
The guidelines also include targeted recommendations for the European Parliament elections in June 2024, emphasizing the need for "robust preparations" to ensure the integrity of democratic processes.
TechCrunch notes that platforms can choose not to follow these guidelines but will need to comply with the legally binding DSA. Deviations from the recommendations could lead to added scrutiny and potential penalties.
The final guidelines are expected to be released in the coming months, and tech companies will need to be prepared to defend their approaches to the EU Commission, which is both producing guidelines and enforcing the DSA rulebook.
Sources:
- TechCrunch: "EU dials up attention on larger platforms over data access for risk research"
- EU website: "Digital Services Act (DSA)"
- Commissioner Thierry Breton’s statement: "Digital Services Act"
