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Disinfo: European Commission and European Parliament wish to censor corona-scepticism

Summary

The next step appears to be the criminalisation of “lies” related to the coronavirus and parallel censorship of corona-scepticism in the media, including on social network. The European Commission and the European Parliament are moving in this direction.

Disproof

An unfounded conspiracy theory, sharing a recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative about Western governments deliberately exaggerating the coronavirus pandemic in order to advance the interests of “globalist élites” and multinational corporations.

The article also contains the recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative claiming that EU efforts to counter coronavirus-related disinformation are attempting to censor dissenting views and/or are motivated by Russophobia.

The European Union's commitment to respect the freedom and pluralism of the media as well as the right to freedom of expression - which includes the right to receive and impart information without interference by public authority - are enshrined in Article 11 of the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The proliferation of disinformation and misinformation around COVID-19 throughout the world has potentially harmful consequences for public health and effective crisis communication. Therefore, the EU has been trying to counter disinformation, including through detection, analysis and exposure of disinformation campaigns related to the pandemic. The EU does not plan to "criminalise" nor censor coronavirus lies.

In the EU and elsewhere, coordinated disinformation messaging seeks to frame vulnerable minorities as the cause of the pandemic and to fuel distrust in the ability of democratic institutions to deliver effective responses.

Many disinformation messages are specifically targeting the EU by claiming that the EU is failing to deal with the pandemic, that the EU is about to collapse and that EU is selfish and betrays its own values.

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publication/media

Geopolitica.ru - Italian (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 193
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 07/04/2020
  • Language/target audience: Italian
  • Country: EU
  • Keywords: coronavirus, Conspiracy theory, European Parliament, European Commission, Censorship

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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