MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/. The European Union has introduced mechanisms of digital censorship ahead of elections in Hungary, handing media platforms control over their outcome, according to a report by the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN).
"A few weeks before the elections in Hungary, Europe activated the Rapid Response System (RRS), officially to combat disinformation. In practice, however, social media platforms are turning a blind eye to the way the opposition circumvents platform rules, gaining millions of views, while content of the conservatives is subject to the strictest moderation," GFCN experts noted. According to them, by doing so "Brussels has handed algorithms and NGOs the remote control that can be used to quietly adjust the outcome of the national vote."
As explained in the GFCN report, on March 16, the European Commission officially activated the RRS, which coordinates the actions of 44 participants, including major platforms "to rapidly identify and restrict content classified as disinformation or foreign influence operations." While the stated goal is to protect the electoral process from manipulation, GFCN Geopolitical and Cybersecurity Expert Anna Andersen believes "this mechanism introduces a fundamental shift in how digital governance operates."
