As the war in Ukraine continues and global democracies face increasing challenges from disinformation campaigns, the conversation around effective, rule-of-law-based responses is more critical than ever.
ALDE Party Vice-President Yevheniia Kravchuk MP was joined by Mykyta Poturaiev MP, chair of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, for a discussion on the topic.
Kravchuk and Poturaiev shared their perspectives on strategic responses to disinformation, how Ukraine is countering the information war, and what Europe must do to protect its democracy.
The conversation highlighted the challenges of defining disinformation within legal frameworks without infringing on freedom of expression, as Poturaiev highlighted that accountability and responsibility for speech are key to combating the issue.
“Freedom of speech is not about your or my right to say anything I want. It’s about my responsibility for what I’m saying. If I’m spreading lies about an institution, I should be [held] accountable. If I lie about something or somebody, this person has the right to take me to court. We can fight disinformation through strengthening this responsibility,” said Poturaiev.
Kravchuk pointed out the growing role of artificial intelligence in spreading false narratives via bots and algorithms, and the necessity for Europe to create alternatives to US-based social networks and AI companies.
“It’s becoming much easier using AI to maximise the spread of disinformation. But what can the EU do as a political union? The solution is to invest in European AI companies and be competitive on this market, but also not to hesitate to block the harmful content that undermines the basics of the democracy and the right to information,” concluded Vice-President Kravchuk.
You can watch the full discussion below or on YouTube.