In a bid to protect the integrity of European elections, the European Commission has called on major online platforms, including X, TikTok, and Facebook, to address threats posed by voter disinformation and other risks. The Commission adopted new guidelines on Tuesday, targeting online platforms with over 45 million active users in the European Union.

Under the guidelines, which fall under the Digital Services Act (DSA), "Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines" are urged to take measures to combat election-related risks, harmful AI content, and misleading political advertising. With concerns over increased malign interference and the dissemination of misinformation online, specific guidelines have been formulated for the upcoming pan-EU election in June.

Although the guidelines are not legally binding, the Commission has the authority to initiate formal proceedings against platforms that do not adhere to DSA provisions on elections and democratic processes. Non-compliant platforms and search engines could face fines of up to 6% of their global turnover. This move by Brussels is part of an effort to push Big Tech entities towards greater responsibility and to challenge their reliance on self-regulation in upholding democratic values.

According to a senior EU official, the guidelines respond to the "threat" posed to the integrity of elections, particularly due to the rapid deployment of generative AI and the viral spread of misleading deepfake content, which fuels divisions in European societies. Last October, a deepfake recording during the Slovak elections, in which a candidate claimed to have rigged the vote, went viral, highlighting the vulnerability of the democratic process.

The new framework mandates platforms to promptly flag high-risk situations through an incident response mechanism and collaborate with European and national authorities, independent experts, and civil society organizations to address emerging threats. The Commission is also concerned about the impact of recommender systems, which prioritize divisive, harmful, or misleading content through machine learning algorithms. The guidelines stipulate that platforms must design these systems in a manner that allows users to have meaningful choices and controls over their feed.

Furthermore, the Commission is wary of the potential misinformation spread through AI-powered chatbots, referred to as chatbot "hallucinations." In 2023, a study by non-profit groups AI Forensics and AlgorithmWatch revealed that Microsoft's Bing Chat, now renamed Microsoft Copilot, inaccurately responded to one-third of election-related questions, providing incorrect information about election dates, candidates, and fabricated controversies.

The adoption of these guidelines just before the European Parliament elections demonstrates strategic timing on the Commission's part. Various platforms, including Google, Meta, and TikTok, have already taken steps to establish election centers to counter misinformation surrounding the vote. TikTok will begin sending push notifications to its European users next month, redirecting them to an in-app election center offering reliable information about the election and media literacy tips.

The Commission plans to test the effectiveness of these rules with "relevant platforms" in late April. As the June elections approach, concerns arise about the linguistic complexity within the EU, as platforms must navigate 24 official languages. For instance, X's transparency reports reveal a lack of content moderators fluent in several EU languages, making the European elections particularly vulnerable.

Highlighting the significance of this effort, the official acknowledged that while compliance with the DSA can be costly, implementing similar rules outside the EU would have a marginal impact, suggesting that platforms could consider extending these safeguards globally.

This initiative by the European Commission underscores the importance of countering online threats and safeguarding the democratic process during the largest election year in history, with over 2 billion voters worldwide expected to participate.