site.btaMEP Kovatchev Calls for Stronger EU Legislation to Combat Disinformation

Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev (GERB/European People’s Party) on Wednesday presented at a press conference in the European Parliament an initiative calling for stricter legislative measures against disinformation. The initiative was jointly launched by his party and three other EP groups - Socialists and Democrats, Greens/EFA, and Renew Europe.

In an interview with BTA, Kovatchev noted that information and content are managed by algorithms that determine whether they are visible to a wider audience.

The MEP said that the operation of the business algorithms used by major companies is a topic that concerns millions of people, not only in Bulgaria but worldwide. According to him, these algorithms are often directed at people’s negative emotions and can be exploited by countries such as the Russian Federation to influence public attitudes. “We want, based on EU legislation, transparency regarding how these algorithms function, and we want to ensure that they do not prioritize false or divisive content that misleads society,” Kovatchev stressed.

As examples of such disinformation, Kovatchev cited claims that the euro would be very bad for Bulgaria, that Ukraine deserved what happened to it, or that Ukrainian authorities had terrorized Bulgarians in Ukraine and therefore Bulgaria should not assist them. He stressed that these statements are entirely false and do not reflect reality.