Have the article read by OpenAI (Beta). Please note that AI translations may take some time to process.Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), warns of the dangers posed by disinformation and artificial intelligence (AI) to democracy and civil society in the European Union.
Speaking to the European Newsroom (enr) Röpke outlined the critical need for regulatory frameworks like the Digital Services Act (DSA) and AI Act to ensure both the protection of democratic values and the ethical use of technology.
Röpke emphasised that both foreign state-sponsored actors and domestic players pose a significant threat to democracy by spreading disinformation: “We know that they are spreading in a coordinated manner disinformation and misinformation within our countries, the European Union, but they all work often hand-in-hand with domestic actors.”
He noted that such campaigns often target vulnerable groups, such as minorities and women, eroding trust in institutions and democratic values. The disinformation is then combined with attacks on “sexual minorities or, for example Roma communities”, he added.
“I think in these times, in these troubling times, it’s even more important than ever that we stand with our democratic values and that we support the democratic values we stand for.”
Oliver Röpke, President of the EESC
The EESC has launched initiatives such as “Citizens can defeat disinformation“ to empower civil society and combat these harmful practices.
Röpke stressed the EESC’s plan to endorse the Commission’s Roadmap for Women’s Rights. The EESC is an advisory body to the Commission, Council and Parliament. Its 329 members represent employers, workers and civil society organisations.
Holding Big Tech accountable
At the same time, Röpke pointed to the importance of holding big tech companies accountable under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which provides a legal framework for combating false content on social media platforms. “I think it’s not about censoring opinions. On the contrary, it is to ensure a free debate – a free debate based on facts and on well-informed actors.”
He argued that enforcement of the DSA’s rules was crucial, as were big tech platforms to help combat disinformation. “We have to enforce it and we have to make sure that Big Tech will be part of the defenders of our democracies and of our democratic values in the end.“
The EESC president called for Europe to develop its own “champions” with European values in the tech sector – in particular AI – to reduce the reliance on a few big players from outside the bloc.
Röpke highlighted the dual role of AI, describing it as a powerful tool for detecting disinformation (e.g. identifying deep fakes) while also acknowledging its potential misuse in creating such content. He supported the AI Act and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as necessary first steps but called for further regulatory efforts to close gaps and ensure ethical AI governance. The AI Act, adopted in 2024, sets out risk based rules on four levels for developers and deployers of AI.
“We have to create a regulatory environment which is technology-open and friendly, but at the same time we have to insist on certain rules,” Röpke insisted. “In general, the key lies in AI governance,” he said, adding that the EESC believed there were still some gaps in the regulation which needed to be closed.
Addressing concerns of workers about the increasing adoption of AI, Röpke advocated for reskilling and upskilling programs to ensure employees are prepared for AI-driven workplaces. He emphasised the importance of the “human-in-command” principle, ensuring that critical decisions affecting people must ultimately remain in human hands. Employers, workers, and trade unions needed to collaborate to foster trust in AI adoption. “The concerns are there, they are valid and we have to take them seriously.”
This article is published twice a week. The content is based on news by agencies participating in the enr.