Election disinformation, legal checking and platform regulation with Les Surligneurs
30 Jul 2024
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Podcast
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In this episode, host Nick Newsom talks to Vincent Couronne, co-founder of Les Surligneurs and treasurer of the European Fact-Checking Standards Network.
Vincent shares highlights from the Global Fact 11 Summit in Sarajevo, where the strained relationship between fact-checkers and platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok was a hot topic.
The discussion covers disinformation trends during the European Union elections, noting the shift from targeting the electoral process to undermining trust in EU institutions by exploiting local issues, a tactic used by foreign actors like Russia and China.
Vincent addresses the evolving nature of disinformation with AI-generated content, which, while still limited in spread, fosters doubt about information authenticity.
Les Surligneurs’ “legal checking” methdology is showcased. This focuses on verifying legal claims with impartial experts. Vincent highlights their rigorous methodology to ensure accuracy and impartiality, and how L’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Les Surligneurs, Siren and Dalil are using AI to accelerate and widen access to precise legal information about topics of public importance.
Finally, Vincent discusses the future of fact-checking, emphasising collaboration with researchers and media literacy organisations, and the importance of legal frameworks like the EU’s Digital Services Act to hold digital platforms accountable.
Episode overview
01:17 – Takeaways from GlobalFact 11
03:54 – Disinformation around the EU elections
09:38 – Challenges of AI and deepfakes
14:00 – Helping journalists know what the legal consensus is around issues
20:00 – Augmenting legal checking using AI
25:10 – EU AI Act and disinformation
27:21 – The relationship between platforms and fact-checkers
33:56 – Is the Digital Services Act muscular enough on disinformation?
37:47 - Fighting accusations fact-checkers being part of ‘censorship industrial complex’, and building a broad-based movement against disinformation
Further reading
Le Parlement Européen : deux lieux de travail pour une institution. Les Surligneurs, 2024
Tackling disinformation: the EU digital services act explained. Siren Associates, 2023.
The People Who Turn Lies into Reality, with Renée DiResta. Chatter podcast, Lawfare, 2024.
The Stanford Internet Observatory is being dismantled. Platformer, 2024.
No embargo in sight: Meta lets pro-Russia propaganda ads flood the EU. AI Forensics, 2024.