In the lead-up to Slovakia’s upcoming election, the country has been bombarded with disinformation and harmful content on social media platforms. One instance involved a Facebook page called Som z dediny, which spread a debunked Russian claim that Ukraine’s president had purchased a vacation home in Egypt under his mother-in-law’s name. Another instance saw a post on Telegram suggesting that a parliamentary candidate had died from a Covid vaccine, although he was still alive. On top of that, a far-right leader posted a photoshopped image on Facebook depicting refugees in Slovakia with an African man wielding a machete. However, there is hope that a new European Union law, the Digital Services Act, could hold social media giants accountable and push them to adopt stricter policies in order to combat such harmful content.
The Digital Services Act aims to tackle the issue of social media platforms hosting and promoting corrosive content by enforcing new policies and practices. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s revenue, incentivizing these platforms to take more responsibility. The impact of this law could extend beyond Europe, potentially influencing company policies in the United States and other regions. With disinformation posing a significant threat to the integrity of elections and public discourse, the implementation of this law could mark a significant step in curbing the spread of harmful content on social media.
The prevalence of disinformation and harmful content on social media platforms has been a pressing concern, particularly during election periods. Slovakia’s experience serves as a timely example of the urgent need for measures to counteract these issues. As the country gears up for its election, the spread of false information has reached alarming levels. However, the introduction of the Digital Services Act presents an opportunity to hold social media companies accountable for the content shared on their platforms. By enforcing stricter regulations, the law aims to discourage the hosting and popularization of harmful content, ultimately safeguarding public discourse and mitigating the influence of disinformation.