Russia and China seek "to inflame the democratic debate, to exacerbate the social polarization and to improve their own image in the context of Covid-19". The charge, severe, comes from the European Commission, which published a report on disinformation officially presented Wednesday. These two countries "are the main providers of content aimed at misinforming European citizens", asserted during a press conference Vera Jourova, vice-president of the institution in charge of values and transparency.
China is implicated black on white and at this level for the first time, while Russia has already been accused by Europe of spreading "fake news". "I'm glad we did, because if we have evidence, we need to report it. […] It's time to tell the truth, ”said Vera Jourova. "For the first time, we have clearly seen China becoming one of the main players in disinformation," added the European Commission, joined by Le Parisien.
We need to ensure transparency and accountability of online platforms. Citizens need to know how information is reaching them, where it comes from and to become more resilient and critical as a society.
#FactsMatter #EUvsDisinfo
My full speech ⬇️https: //t.co/ZkvgjEKLxR pic.twitter.com/LogJXJlltR
"There is a new European Commission [since December 2019] which says that it has nothing more to lose in the middle of this political struggle between the big powers, China, Russia, and the United States, whose the only common point is to want to weaken Europe. It would no longer be credible if it were not able to make itself heard, and it can no longer hide its face, ”agrees Patrick Martin-Genier, a teacher at Sciences Po and specialist in European issues.
Hoaxes, conspiracy theories…
In detail, Europe notably criticizes these two mega-powers - including China - for circulating "dangerous hoaxes" and "misleading medical information with false allegations" on the coronavirus. And to quote, for example, statements like "it is useless to wash your hands" or "the coronavirus is dangerous only for the elderly".
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The European Commission also says it is concerned about "conspiracy theories that can endanger human health, harm the cohesion of our societies, incite violence and create social unrest". The institution mentions the various rumors concerning the circulation of the virus by the waves of 5G antennas, or those accusing an ethnic or religious group of being at the origin of the virus.
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Other allegations have also been circulated, including the fact that the United States designed the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus for the purpose of making it a biological weapon. "One of the main arguments is to say that the virus is not from China," says the European Commission.
For several weeks, the Chinese embassy in Paris has also been talked about regularly with its many messages on Twitter criticizing Western countries for their management of the health crisis. “Beijing has aggressively conveyed a pro-Chinese story on Western social networks. According to him, Europe and the United States have failed in their response to the coronavirus, and China has weathered the storm better than most other states, "said Brussels-based media center Politico.
This leaves several Western heads of state skeptical, starting with Emmanuel Macron, while the country chaired by Xi Jinping is suspected of having minimized the number of deaths on its soil. "Things have happened that we do not know (in China)," said the French head of state in the Financial Times on April 16.
Previous watered down report?
The European authorities are not able to detail more precisely what "evidence" they have, in particular to establish whether these actions are coordinated at the highest level of the Chinese state. "China is a victim of disinformation, not an instigator," said a spokesman for the Chinese mission to the European Union.
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In a previous report from the European External Action Service (EEAS) in late April, the accusations against China were softened in the version released. The European authorities had admitted that Chinese diplomats had expressed their "concerns", while denying having preferred to conceal the reality.
Monthly report requested from social networks
"The Commission communication is timely, but it should only be a first step. More action is needed to strengthen the resilience of our democracies and effectively silence disinformation, "said MEP Dacian Ciolos, president of the Renew Europe group, in a statement.
To respond to this vast challenge of disinformation and “fake news”, the European Commission counts in particular on “the commitment of the whole of society”, including “fact-checkers” journalists and online platforms. Europe is also asking Facebook, Twitter, Google and other social networks to publish a monthly report on the actions taken to combat disinformation linked to Covid-19.
The European Commission also wants these sites to commit to further relegate or even suppress the propagators of "fake news". Coincidence or not, Twitter announced a first sweep this Friday. 23,750 accounts linked to China, which were used to promote Beijing's views on the fight against the coronavirus, were deactivated.