While Emmanuel Macron is talking about the subject, the European Commission is quietly building a « hybrid ecosystem » – technical standards (C2PA), editorial guidelines (JTI), fact-checking networks and conditional funding – that aims to combat disinformation but risks sorting out the media and threatening pluralism. At a time when Emmanuel Macron is speaking out on the subject, the European Commission is, more discreetly, multiplying initiatives to beef up the fight against disinformation. Buoyed by Ursula von der Leyen’s declared obsession with what she describes as one of the most serious threats to our democracies, the debate on labeling media content is back with a vengeance. Between technical standards, fact-checking networks, conditional funding and editorial labeling projects, the EU is moving towards a hybrid system that raises as many hopes as risks. The shadow cast by the « European Democratic Shield » On November 13, the Commission presented its « European Democratic Shield »,…
