The European Union (EU) may be stepping up efforts to establish a centralised hub for monitoring and countering “foreign disinformation”, reports suggest.
According to the European Commission proposal, set to be released on November 12, the so-called ‘Centre for Democratic Resilience’ will function as part of a broader “democracy shield” strategy, pitched by the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, ahead of the 2024 European elections.
The draft accuses Russia of intensifying “hybrid attacks” by disseminating allegedly false narratives, say sources familiar with its information.
Critics have warned that Brussels has made its intentions clear regarding the long-warned possibility that it would enforce an institutionalised censorship regime in the bloc.
The bloc has declared China to be another threat, alleging that Beijing employs its PR firms and social media influencers to further deepen its interests across the EU.
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“By disseminating false narratives, sometimes packaged with manipulation and falsification of historical facts, they try to erode trust in democratic systems,” the report is said to have stated.
Alhough the Commission sees the move as a defensive response against foreign meddling, citing Romanian elections in 2024, it has been said that Telegram founder, Pavel Durov, had alleged that it was French intelligence rather than Russia or China that demanded the suppression of certain content.
The new centre will add to EU’s growing network of tools to monitor and moderate information, alongside “independent” fact-checkers and online influencers who’re roped in to promote content aligned with Brussels’ policies.
However, the proposal has been met with sharp criticism from the United States, with its State Department recently describing the move as “Orwellian”, and adding that “censorship is not freedom”.
During the Munich Security Conference in February, US Vice President JD Vance had said, “If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you.”
“If your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with,” he famously said.
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