The European Commission has held the first expert meeting on countering fake news. Brussels promises that the discussions will last till February, 23 to be followed by a package of policies suggested by the EC.
The issue is very controversial. For example, British PM Theresa May actively promotes countering fake news. However, she has been recently caught red-handed creating it.
Vesti.FM correspondent Regina Sevastyanova has found out how Euronews is going to fight Fake news. Regina is now live from Brussels.
- Hello. Is anything known about the measures to be taken? Maybe, they should start with themselves?
- Hello. That's what many journalists tried to figure out today in Brussels who jumped at the announcement. We attended the first official press-conference of a new body of the EC. It embraces 39 experts, including the representatives of social media, media agencies and the civil society and journalists. We were told that there had been 300 applicants wishing to enter the expert commission. The best of the best got a place in the building of Berlaymont, Brussels, to spend the coming weeks and months deciding on the EU policies to counter fake news.
Mariya Gabriel, the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, explained the tasks of the new expert group.
Mariya Gabriel: "The Expert Group on fake news has a major goal. It is to provide the Commission with the food for thought on all the issues related to fake news in traditional and social media as well as with possible social and political solutions to the problems. The discussions will last till February, 23. Moreover, we'll take into account the results of the Eurobarometer survey which will start next week".
Specifically, the journalists asked about the first step. The first step turned out to define the phenomenon of fake news. How to distinguish between real and fake news? Will it be journalists or lawyers who will do it? To begin with, the expert commission will determine these issues.
The question has become acute for a reason. A heated debate on the issue is underway in France because, as we know, making his New Year's address, President Macron said that France would adopt a special law to counter fake news.
Emmanuel Macron: "It has been decided that our juridical tools will be changed to protect the life in democracy from fake news. A new bill will be drafted shortly. As you know, some dozens of thousands euro are enough to promote fake news in the social media. And it can be anonymous. We'll tighten the requirements to the transparency of sponsored platforms, obliging their owners to make public the names of their customers and advertising providers".
Naturally, France is not the only country addressing the issue. At the November summit in Brussels, British PM Theresa May, whom you've mentioned, who was the first to suggest that the EU should counter fake news.
Last week, on January 10, the US intelligence issues another paper claiming that Russian fake news will reportedly be involved in Italy's 2018 election.
How do distinguish between truth and lies? Is it about censorship or not? The Brussels expert commission is going to answer these questions as well.
- I guess the receipt is obvious. If after you've checked the facts they turn out real, then it's the truth. Otherwise, it's a lie. They can get tougher on the Internet for good, which the EU might be happy to do.
Vesti.FM European correspondent Regina Sevastyanova was live from the Brussels studio
