Overview
- The European Commission presented the Democracy Shield in Brussels, with a new Centre for Democratic Resilience slated to start next year to coordinate responses to foreign manipulation and disinformation.
- The package includes an EU-funded independent fact-checker network, expanded monitoring by the European Digital Media Observatory, and a DSA-based crisis protocol for faster cross-border action.
- Election safeguards feature guidance on the use of AI in campaigns and a push for platforms to label AI-generated content, building on the AI Act and Digital Services Act.
- Support measures extend to funding independent and local journalism, boosting media literacy, and a Culture Compass with annual cultural reports from 2027 plus a proposed EU charter for cultural workers; a voluntary influencer network is also planned.
- Participation by member states is optional and the centre will not police content, drawing criticism from figures such as MEP Alexandra Geese, while the Commission separately opened a proceeding against Google over suspected discriminatory treatment of publishers in search.