“There are external anti-European forces, which are seeking — openly or secretly — to influence the democratic choices of Europeans,” EU leader Donald Tusk warned recently. Asian push to crack down on ‘fake news’ sparks alarmIn the final weeks of the campaign, officials are on alert fearing that opponents — including Moscow — will attempt to spread fake news, amplified by viral social media. “There is strong evidence pointing to Russia as a primary source of disinformation in Europe,” said EU Commission vice-president and former Estonian premier Andrus Ansip. In response to the perceived threat, the EU Commission has drawn up guidelines for member states, calling on them to support quality journalism or to work with independent fact-checkers. Their website, “EU vs disinformation”, claims credit for refuting more than 5,000 items of fake news, mainly related to Russia.

Source: The Express Tribune April 07, 2019 04:07 UTC