EU 'names and shames' China, Russia for spreading 'disinformation campaigns'

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday slammed China, Russia for spreading "disinformation campaigns" across the world.

"Foreign actors and certain third countries, in particular Russia and China, have engaged in targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns in the EU, its neighborhood, and globally," the European Commission, in a statement, said.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

In a policy paper published by the EU, experts said they came across "massive wave" of health care hoaxes, false arguments, online scams, hate speech, and coronavirus conspiracy theories circulating on social media platforms.

It further said that attempts were also made by foreign actors to include themselves in domestic EU issues.

"Such coordination reveals an intention to use false or misleading information to cause harm," the paper said.

"I believe if we have evidence we should not shy away from naming and shaming," Vĕra Jourová, a European commission vice-president, said.

She also said that they also witnessed "a surge in narratives undermining our democracies and in effect our response to the crisis", referring tothe claim of secret US biological laboratories made by pro-Russia, Chinese officials, and its state media.

"I strongly believe that a geopolitically strong EU can only materialise if we are assertive,” Jourová further told reporters.

The Commission also called on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google to do more to target disinformation spreading through their platforms and to remove deceptive and dangerous content.

Despite the strong stance taken by the EU, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Wednesday that he assured Chinese foreign minister that the group would not begin any kind of Cold War with China.