Members of the European Parliament announced on January 25, 2022 that the body had adopted recommendations made by the Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation (INGE) that encouraged the EU to build a sanctions regime against disinformation based on information gathered during its 18-month inquiry. According to the INGE, the EU suffers from an “overwhelming” lack of awareness to threats posed by foreign autocratic regimes such as Russia and China, that makes the EU vulnerable to malicious actors that may use tactics such as interference and disinformation to mislead citizens, divide society, carry out cyberattacks and take over critical infrastructure. The INGE also determined that the threat of interference was exacerbated by legislative loopholes and a lack of coordination between EU countries.
Based on these findings, members of the INGE urged the EU to establish a disinformation-related sanctions regime in order to raise the public’s awareness of threats posed by disinformation by offering special training people in sensitive positions and general information campaigns. The committee also recommended a number of changes that would increase the EU’s capacity to counter these threats — for example, tightening the rules for social media platforms, which are particularly vulnerable to foreign interference, and taking steps to improve cybersecurity by banning the use of certain surveillance software.
The European Parliament reports that the full House is set to vote on the INGE’s recommendations in its March session.
European Parliament Press Release | INGE Draft Report – October 18, 2021 | INGE Report – Compromise Amendments