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| “Social Networks Should Accept Higher Responsibility and Far More Actively Engage in the Fight against the Spread of Disinformation” |
| Bratislava, 02.12.2020 |
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| "Citizens have the right to actively participate in setting the direction of the European Union. Therefore, I believe in an early launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe, and I also welcome the priorities of the upcoming Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU. These priorities reflect very well the current situation and search for a balance between the launch of the post-corona crisis recovery of the Union and the long-term reforms which include the green and digital transformation of our economies.”
This was the statement made by the State Secretary of the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry of the Slovak Republic, Martin Klus, in Bratislava on Tuesday (27 November 2020) during an informal video conference of the State Secretaries and Secretaries-General from the diplomacy ministries of the EU member states. The online discussion was organized by the European External Service Action together with Portugal that introduced the priorities of its upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2021.
“One of the leitmotifs of the Portuguese Presidency is to strengthen the social element and cohesion in the EU. Slovakia welcomes these priorities because only in this way can we help citizens to bounce back from the crisis and start preparing for the new challenges that are brought about by digital technologies and climate change,” stated the State Secretary of the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs, Martin Klus. He also added that we cannot forget the businesses since industry is the basis of the European economy.
“Especially in Slovakia industry has a dominant position in the economy. Our ambitions cannot burden it. On the contrary, we must turn them into opportunities for development,” said Klus.
During the video conference he also reminded the participants that from the very beginning, the COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by an unprecedented “infodemic”, that is a boom of fake news, half-truths or lies, especially on social networks. In this regard he therefore expressed his appreciation for the ongoing works of the European Commission on the preparation of the Digital Services Act Package, as well as the European Democracy Action Plan (EDAP).
“I hope that new documents will also strengthen our resilience and the capability to react to dangerous phenomena on the internet. We must fight harder against disinformation. And not only us, the social media should also accept their share of responsibility. Otherwise our citizens will move further away from the values and meaning of the EU,” stated the State Secretary Klus.
However, he added that at the same time the measures against the spread of disinformation and hoaxes cannot limit the free flow of information nor intervene in the freedom of speech which is the cornerstone of democracy.
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Address : Euro-Brew Ltd., Hlboká 22, 917 01 Trnava, Slovakia
Tel. : +421 33 53 418 53, Fax : +421 33 53 418 52, E-mail : info@eurobrew.sk |
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