Participation in the EU’s disinformation code was voluntary when it was introduced in 2018, and the rules were designed as an alternative to legislation. Four years later, the problem of disinformation that emerged following the 2016 UK Brexit referendum and US presidential election has grown even worse. The coronavirus pandemic has heightened EU lawmakers’ concerns about the harms associated with online disinformation in recent years. Russia’s war in Ukraine has heightened interest in the issue, as the EU has taken tough measures against Kremlin propaganda outlets, going so far as to ban state-affiliated media outlets Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik earlier this year. “The new code demonstrates that Europe has learned its lessons and that we are no longer naive,” Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova said at a press conference. “If there is the consistent flouting of the rules, we can also consider blocking their access to our information space,” she said at a news conference. The following are the main areas of focus for the EU’s new disinformation Code: Demonetization (putting pressure on the ad industry to avoid serving ads alongside disinformation in order to reduce the financial incentive to spread general nonsense); transparency around political advertisements
