Why a top European official went to Silicon Valley on the eve of a major election
Jun 3, 2024
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European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová discusses her 'Democracy Tour' in Silicon Valley, focusing on combating disinformation and foreign interference in upcoming EU elections. She emphasizes the importance of tech companies' collaboration to safeguard electoral integrity, addressing concerns about AI-generated deep fakes, China's influence, and the EU's regulatory efforts to protect democracy.
Platforms play a vital role in combating fake content to safeguard free and fair elections.
The EU leads in tech regulation, setting standards that inspire global adoption of similar approaches.
Deep dives
Challenges of Election Interference
Efforts to combat election interference, including discussing threats like disinformation and AI-generated deepfakes, were emphasized during the Democracy Tour across EU member states. Platforms play a significant role in removing or addressing fake content that could mislead voters. Aside from the responsibility of platforms, addressing cyber attacks, corruption, and threats from actors like Russia, China, and Iran are crucial. Ensuring free and fair elections involves fact-checking, involving independent media, public service media, and volunteers.
Feedback and Compliance with Platforms
Feedback from EU member states, particularly those targeted by Russia, highlighted concerns about fact-checking and the impact of disinformation. Platforms are urged to intensify fact-checking across different languages and regions. Despite ongoing investigations into compliance, platforms like Google are praised for funding programs to enhance media and digital literacy. Continuous dialogue and assessments with platforms aim to ensure compliance with EU laws on disinformation and illegal hate speech.
EU's Tech Regulation Impact
The EU stands at the forefront of tech regulation, emphasizing the protection of citizens and defining rules for technologies to serve people effectively. From privacy regulations to the AI act, the EU sets standards for handling illegal activities online. The EU's regulatory frameworks inspire other countries like Japan, the United States, and Canada to adopt similar approaches. The EU serves as a testing ground and hopes to influence global tech regulations positively.
European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová has been on the road talking about disinformation and foreign interference ahead of the European Union elections later this week. And that “Democracy Tour” took Jourová to California last week for meetings with tech CEOs about their role in the fight. On today’s POLITICO Tech, Jourová explains what she learned during her Silicon Valley visit and whether she’s feeling confident as voters head to the polls.