The European Commission recently launched a new €5 million call for proposals to combat “disinformation.” The aim is to recruit fact-checkers to create so-called “narrative dominance” in “geopolitically sensitive areas.” Applications are open not only to EU partners, but also to third-country actors, such as Ukraine, as long as they are supposedly fighting “Russian disinformation.”
The measure is part of the “European Democracy Shield” initiative launched by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. But what is being sold as a protective measure is turning out to be a well-funded campaign to manipulate public opinion, critics say.
A recent study by the Hungarian Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) shows the extent of this campaign: the EU is currently funding a total of 349 projects with a total budget of around €650 million to combat “hate speech” and “disinformation”. British professor Norman Fenton speaks of a “secret war against alternative narratives”. According to his analysis, the EU wants to enforce a centralized consensus, where freedom of expression only exists if it conforms to the Commission’s line.
Amid this development, there has been surprising criticism from the United States. According to investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger, Washington is considering banning entry to the United States for officials around the world who actively censor social media. Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes is in the spotlight. US representatives in Paris also recently expressed concerns to the EU about the Digital Services Act, a law that is increasingly being used in Europe to censor opposition voices such as Marine Le Pen.
Summary: The EU is investing huge sums in the fight against opinions that do not follow its line. “Fact checking” is becoming a weapon against undesirable narratives – with the aim of securing a dominant position. The supposedly free society is gradually becoming a highly regulated filter bubble.
