Facebook and TikTok kill fake news story in Italy

A fake news story claiming that Italy might leave the EU if there was a low turnout at this weekend’s elections shared on Italian social media was taken down by big tech platforms this week.

The story, reported by Facta News, could be a positive example of big tech platforms’ ability to take down fake news information ahead of the 6-9 June European Parliament elections.

Officials and politicians have sounded the alarm over the potential for foreign interference through disinformation, and online platforms are often criticised as unable to deal with the huge influx of fake news.

The photo surfaced as early as 24 May on Facebook, claiming that in case of a “very low turnout” at the EU elections, article 50 of the European Constitution would mandate an immediate referendum on leaving the European Union, reported Facta News. “Don’t vote!” read the last sentence of the screenshot.

It was later shared on TikTok and X.

The disinformation posts were flagged by Italy’s Facta News to social media platforms, the publication told Euractiv. This resulted in TikTok removing some of the posts and Facebook blurring the screenshot, informing users it was fake news.

Facebook and TikTok moderation decisions probably lowered the reach of the fake news story as the post received some 3,000 views on Facebook, Facta News said.

Meta and TikTok confirmed to Euractiv that they acted on the content, either by blurring the screenshots on Facebook or deleting some posts and banning accounts for TikTok. These decisions were taken with Italian fact-checking organisations, spokespeople told Euractiv.

The companies said they could not or did not wish to provide granular information on this fake news story, such as the number of views and reaction times of the moderation decision.

Commission shrugs off MEPs calls to address social media disinformation risk ahead of elections

While MEPs urgently called for measures to address disinformation risks and foreign influence attempts before the EU elections, according to a letter dated 9 April and seen by Euractiv, the European Commission responded just two days before the vote, stating the responsibility lies with tech platforms.

Fact-checking the narrative

No Italian constitutional requirements mandate the Italian government to request a referendum on leaving the EU in case of a low turnout at the EU elections.

The European Union does not have a single codified constitution and while the European Parliament and Council of the EU agreed to have an EU Constitution in 2004, it was rejected by French and Dutch referendums in 2005.

The Treaty of Lisbon, signed in 2007 and entering into force in 2009, defined how EU institutions work, amending two previous treaties of association.

One of them, the Treaty of the European Union, does include Article 50, which allows any EU member state to voluntarily and unilaterally decide to withdraw from the EU “in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.”

There is no notion of automaticity, as the screenshot suggested.

It took the UK almost a year to trigger Article 50 after a referendum to leave the EU.

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

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