- As the Code evolves from a voluntary set of principles to an official co-regulatory instrument of the Digital Services Act, Google, YouTube and LinkedIn’s complete withdrawal from the fact-checking chapter is extremely concerning.
- Research shows fact-checking and fact-checking labels work, and Community Notes are not an effective alternative.
22 January 2025 – The European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) is alarmed by some platforms’ retraction from the same commitments they took just two years ago under the Code of Practice on Disinformation and is concerned about their overall commitment to the welfare of millions the Europeans who use their services every day.
Specifically, Google, YouTube and LinkedIn’s complete withdrawal from the fact-checking chapter is concerning. They choose not to engage with fact-checkers anymore and deny their users the opportunity to see trustworthy information about the contents they consume on their platforms, even though fact-checking has been proven an effective tool in the fight against misinformation that fully respects everyone’s freedom of speech. Google, YouTube and LinkedIn had been committed to allow fact-checking in their services since signing the Code in 2022.
The Code’s provisions on fact-checking were agreed upon by a large and diverse group of stakeholders that included fact-checkers, academics, regulators, and the platforms themselves. Such backpedalling as the Code gains legal strength is incongruous with previous acceptance of the included measures by platforms when they were voluntary. Still, the EFCSN maintains hope that the Code can contribute to a better information space in the European Union, given that the Code will serve as the benchmark for enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Beyond the withdrawal by Google, YouTube, and Linkedin, Meta’s caveat to their subscriptions in the context of announcements made on 7 January 2025 ending their Third-Party Fact-Checking Program in the United States also is cause for concern. The EFCSN hopes Meta recognises the success of the program and the necessity of maintaining such commitments in the European context. Meta’s precarious agreement is dangerously close to lowering the bar for other platforms, adding to fears of a severely weakened Code.
Similarly, TikTok’s note accompanying their subscriptions, conditioning them on other platforms’ subscriptions, highlights this dynamic and the general uncertainty on the platforms’ commitment to what has been proven as one of the most effective lines of work against online disinformation.
Unfortunately, these retractions do not come as a surprise as the fulfilment of the commitments made by the platforms in 2022 has always been shaky at best. At the end of 2024, the EFCSN published a report reviewing the implementation of commitments previously made to the code. Although to varying degrees, all platforms fell short. With this report, the EFCSN called for platforms for changes in their strategy on disinformation and true commitment to the Code, which we again reiterate.
The Code lists numerous ways how platforms should counter disinformation, one of them being cooperation with fact-checkers and integration of fact-checking into platforms. Fact-checking is essential to uphold free, fair and democratic societies. It is the frontline in our information spaces against misinformation. By adding research-backed content to contentious conversations, fact-checking allows citizens to make more informed choices about the online content they interact with. Professional fact-checkers are held to the highest ethical and journalistic standards by organisations like the EFCSN, acting as a reliable source in internet spaces with many untrustworthy voices.
Labels on misinformation empower users to make informed decisions about the content they interact with and share. Research has repeatedly shown that misinformation warning labels are effective, such as a 2023 study by researchers at MIT that concluded “warning labels may be reliably effective at reducing the belief in, and spread of, false content online”. This holds true even for users distrustful of fact-checkers. In fact, labels by fact-checkers are more effective than algorithmically or user-created labels. Labelling reduces the credibility of misinformation-containing posts and users self-report being less likely to share such labeled content. Because fact-checking labels add important context to the conversation, they provide citizens with greater context when they decide what content to consume and amplify.
The proposed alternative of Community Notes has also been shown as ineffective in its current form. In fact, research on X’s introduction of Community Notes has found “no evidence that the introduction of Community Notes significantly reduced engagement with misleading tweets on Twitter”, according to a 2024 study. Specifically, the study notes that it is a notably slower strategy to respond to viral content. Community Notes also raises potential issues related to its tendency toward politically motivated reasoning. An investigation by EFCSN member Science Feedback also looked at X and found that most of the content that fact-checkers found to be false or misleading had no intervention, showing the inadequacy of the approach.
The EFCSN urges EU institutions and regulators to safeguard European democracies and their citizens from the harmful effects of disinformation and to demonstrate decisiveness and clarity toward platforms during this critical time.
About the Code of Practice on Disinformation
EU Code of Practice (“the Code”) on Disinformation is a framework for online platforms to guide and monitor their commitments towards combating disinformation. It is comprehensive and contains 128 specific measures, such as the integration of fact-checking into platforms. For signatories designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) or Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs), engagement with the Code is as well relevant under the scope of the Digital Services Act (DSA) as the Code will be converted into a Code of Conduct. Notably, even though platforms voluntarily sign up to the Code and can unsubscribe from certain commitments, it will be used as a benchmark for measuring compliance with the DSA, both for signatories and non-signatories.
About the EFCSN
The European Fact-Checking Standards Network is an association of fact-checking organizations who commit to the standards of independence, transparency, and journalistic quality outlined in the European Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organisations. With over 50 verified members across Europe, the EFCSN is the voice of European fact-checkers. The EFCSN is also a signatory of the Code of Practice.
