Europe’s Online Battles

It is not about limiting the freedom of the Internet but about developing and providing tools that will help people regain information sovereignty. We need new transparency laws that would limit a fatal impact of obscure online bots.

We already know the threat of misinformation, which is reflected in the fact that over 70 per cent of Europeans fear the effects. When facts themselves become the focus of a massive, coordinated attack, not only political parties but our entire lifestyle are at risk.

Interestingly, the world of advertising is more aware of these phenomena than the media. Our economic model – based on trust in brands and personal or online recommendations – has been undergoing a parallel attack often carried out using the same methods as those witnessed in election campaigns.

As Lenin rightly predicted, for the “free” world to fall politically, capitalism must first fall. So far, however, our system has not fallen, and it will not if we defend ourselves effectively.