The European Union has launched the 'Shield for Democracy' to collaborate with online platforms and influencers in combating disinformation and digital manipulation.

The European Union presented a new strategy on Wednesday, called 'Shield for Democracy', which aims to collaborate with major online platforms and influencers to combat disinformation, foreign interference, and manipulation campaigns, especially in an electoral context. The European Commission emphasized that tech giants, such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok, must intensify actions against illegal content, according to the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The new strategy includes a DSA crisis protocol for rapid coordination among national authorities in case of large-scale manipulation. Additionally, companies that sign the Code of Conduct on disinformation will need to improve the detection and labeling of content generated by artificial intelligence. European Commissioner for Justice, Michael McGrath, stated that 'Shield for Democracy' connects all European tools to defend common values.

Furthermore, a European Center for Democratic Resilience will be created, which will coordinate the expertise of member states and facilitate the exchange of information to respond to hybrid threats and foreign interference.