Online disinformation: platforms and advertisers to release a draft Code of Practice

Today, the representatives of online platforms, leading social networks, advertisers and advertising industry are expected to make public a first draft of a Code of Practice to address the spread of online disinformation in Europe.

The draft document will be published after the Multistakeholder Forum – gathering all the stakeholders involved – later tonight here. It will then be passed onto representatives of the media, civil society, fact checkers and academia, also part of the Forum, to identify potential areas for improvement. The final version of the Code of Practice is expected by the end of September. This should lead to a measurable reduction of online disinformation. By December 2018, the Commission will report on the progress made. The Code of Practice will provide self-regulatory measures for online platforms and advertising industry to achieve the objectives set out by the Commission’s Communication in April 2018, based on four guiding principles: transparency, inclusivity, credibility and diversity. More details on the Communication can be found in the press release, Q&A and factsheet.