European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová attended a webinar, organized by the Renew Europe Group, on 4 June to discuss disinformation in the context of COVID-19.

Entitled ‘From pandemic to infodemic: countering disinformation amid COVID-19’, the webinar brought together a range of experts and policymakers, highlighted the need for a European strategy to face the threat caused by the rapid spread of disinformation and gave interested citizens an opportunity to pose questions on the topic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is just a reminder about the huge problem of misinformation, disinformation and digital hoaxes,” Jourová said in her keynote speech, and continued, “This can create confusion and distrust and it can undermine an effective public health response.”

Jourová was optimistic about the current situation and the response to this threat in Europe: “We are not only talking, but we are also acting. Next week [10 June], you will see a teaser with a Communication on disinformation in the COVID-19 context, and by the end of the year we will come with the Digital Services Act and the European Democracy Action Plan to give some regulatory ideas on how to advance this debate about disinformation and online responsibility.”

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