EU to notify big tech companies that they will be fined if they do not curb election risks

They fall under the EU's massive content moderation law, the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires big tech companies to do more to combat illegal, harmful and fake online content.

Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, for example, will need to ensure that content created using generative AI clearly indicates that, officials told AFP.

Additionally, in the absence of a label, users must be able to indicate that the content was created using generative AI and requires a watermark.

The guidelines require platforms to redouble their efforts to ensure access to trusted content about elections, the official said.

Tech giants have self-regulated for years under codes of conduct on disinformation, but now they must comply with EU rules or risk fines of up to 6 percent of their platforms' global revenue. be.

Thierry Breton, the EU's internal market commissioner, said 2024 was an “important year” for elections and the DSA would encourage platforms to reduce risks online.

“That's why we are leveraging all the tools DSA provides to ensure that platforms comply with their obligations and are not used to manipulate elections, while protecting freedom of expression,” Brereton said.

The EU is particularly concerned about the risks to June's elections from Russian disinformation campaigns.

Major companies such as Meta and TikTok have made a slew of announcements detailing how they will deal with threats to elections, including forming teams to counter disinformation during the European elections.

Last week, the EU issued further information under the DSA to TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, Google, YouTube, Snapchat and Bing on what measures it is taking to address AI risks, including deepfakes. requested.

In December, the EU launched a full-scale “illegal content” investigation into tech billionaire Elon Musk's X after identifying suspicious posts.

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