Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on November 12, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
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The EU is leveraging Big Tech and influencers to combat disinformation, with a new strategy focusing on democracy protection and coordination.
By Foo Yun Chee and Lili Bayer
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Europe is looking to online platforms and influencers to help fight disinformation and promote democracy according to a European Commission strategy presented on Wednesday amid concerns over interference by foreign governments in national elections.
Alphabet's Google, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Elon Musk's X, TikTok and other online platforms already have to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content under the EU's Digital Services Act in force since 2022.
The European Democracy Shield strategy expects them to go the extra mile, with the EU executive setting up a DSA incidents and crisis protocol to facilitate coordination between authorities and react swiftly to large-scale operations.
Signatories to a voluntary Code of Conduct on disinformation, among them Google, Microsoft, Meta and TikTok, may be required to make a greater effort to detect and label AI-generated and manipulated content on their platforms.
"The Democracy Shield connects the dots, making sure Europe's tools and actors work together effectively in defence of our shared values. The challenge is clear and let us make no mistake, the stakes are indeed very high," EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath told a news conference.
The Commission also singled out influencers' role in online political campaigns, saying it would set up a voluntary network of influencers to raise awareness of relevant EU rules.
A newly set-up European Centre for Democratic Resilience will coordinate EU countries' expertise and resources and facilitate information sharing.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
The Digital Services Act is a regulation in the EU that aims to create a safer digital space by holding online platforms accountable for illegal and harmful content.
The European Centre for Democratic Resilience is an initiative aimed at coordinating efforts among EU countries to combat disinformation and enhance democratic processes.
A Code of Conduct on disinformation is a set of voluntary commitments made by online platforms to improve their efforts in detecting and addressing false information.
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