The main tool enabling such interference has been the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into effect in 2023.
The report indicates that since the DSA was implemented, the European Commission has pressured digital platforms to censor content ahead of national elections in Slovakia, the Netherlands, France, Moldova, Romania, and Ireland, as well as before the European Parliament elections scheduled for June 2024.
The authors of the report emphasize that several instances of censorship were justified by the need to combat "alleged Russian disinformation," while actual evidence of its existence has not been presented.
Furthermore, the report notes that the actions of the European Commission beyond its jurisdiction could threaten U.S. sovereignty, citing pressure on social media as an example.
The document states that high-ranking officials from the European Commission have pressured TikTok to increase censorship of content from the U.S. ahead of the upcoming presidential elections in 2024.
Although adherence to the new recommendations issued in 2024 under the DSA is formally considered voluntary, officials from the European Commission have hinted that it is, in fact, a mandatory measure.
So far, the European Commission has not commented on these allegations.
