Namely, as the British service "BBC" writes, research was conducted on 6,000 unique posts on social networks Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok, X, and YouTube, and the study findings show that social networks globally transmit sensitive and insufficiently checked content. , i.e., manipulative. The study analyzed content in three countries considered particularly at risk of disinformation – Spain, Poland, and Slovakia.

Meanwhile, the EU has warned Elon Musk to comply with new laws on fake news and Russian propaganda after "X" was found to have the most disinformation of other major social media platforms, The Guardian reported.

The report analyzed the scale of disinformation in a new report, which revealed the scale of fake news on social media across the EU for the first time, with millions of fake accounts removed from TikTok and Linkedin. Interestingly, Facebook was named the second-worst offender when it comes to disinformation, according to the report, which also states that if the social networks do not comply with European data sharing rules, Brussels could, in the near future, declare them illegal under The Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into force in August.

Meanwhile, Facebook and other tech giants, including Google, TikTok, and Microsoft, have signed up to a code of practice by the EU to ensure they can prepare in time to operate under the new laws. Twitter has abandoned the code but is required to follow the rules or face an EU-wide ban under the new law.

Harsh criticism of Musk and Xs publishing policies

- Mr. Musk knows he is not exempt by leaving the code of practice. There are strict legal obligations. So, my message to Twitter/X is that you have to stick with it. We will watch what you do - said European Commissioner Vera Jurova, who is responsible for implementing the new code against disinformation.

The 200-page report describes the work of significant platforms in the first six months of 2023 to prepare to comply with the new law. It lifts the lid on behind-the-scenes efforts by Facebook and others to reduce Russian propaganda, hate speech, and other disinformation.

"The Russian state entered the war of ideas to pollute our information space with half-truths and lies to create a false image that democracy is no better than autocracy," Yurova said.

LinkedIns owner, Microsoft, prevented the creation of 6.7 million fake accounts, removed 24,000 pieces of fake content from Google-owned YouTube, and told the EU it had taken down more than "400 channels involved in coordinated influence operations linked to the Intelligence Agency". And it was sponsored by Russia".

At the same time, TikTok has removed nearly 6 million fake accounts and 410 unverifiable ads. Google did the same, removing ads from almost 300 pages linked to "state-funded propaganda sites" and rejecting more than 140,000 political advertisers due to "failed identity verification processes."

According to the report, Meta has expanded its fact-checking to 26 partners covering 22 EU languages, including Czech and Slovak. TikTok, which was recently fined €345m (£300m) for breaching child data protection rules, is also working to comply with the DSA. Microsoft, another participant in the code of practice, told the EU that it deleted or reduced suspicious information related to 800,000 search queries about the war in Ukraine.

Do Macedonians believe everything they read on the Internet?

Strengthening the control system in educational institutions, raising the level of education, and raising media literacy would help a lot in the process of fighting against fake news and preventing situations from which we could not "defend ourselves," as is the case now in some EU countries advises the part domestic experts. According to them, including an alarm for greater control over children on social networks would contribute to reducing this trend, which is dangerous and increasingly present in European countries and the region.

In this context, communication expert and expert Bojan Kordalov, commenting on the report from the Macedonian angle, tells "Sloboden pecat" that the problem of untruths on social networks in Macedonia is serious.

- The degree of anonymity and non-identification on "X" ex-Twitter is much higher. Thus, people who can spread misinformation and do it there best and easiest are considered anonymous. In other words, the way this network works is invented in the sense that the speed of information is a priority and not the truth - emphasizes the communication expert Kordalov.

The communicator advises that to overcome this serious problem plaguing the domestic society and other countries in the region, greater involvement of institutions in the field among those interested and an individual approach to solving the problem is needed.

- I believe it is not crucial where, who, and what is done on social networks. On the "X" network, you can find people who do not spread misinformation. On the contrary, this social network has valid profiles that share important and verified information every day. As a communication specialist, it is important to find out who and what is working there. It is the fight against misinformation that institutions should take on. The targeting of media and groups should be stopped, but the problem of fake news, propaganda, and misinformation should be approached and solved individually - underlines Kordalov.

Fake news is becoming a stumbling block in EU membership

Disinformation in the Macedonian internet space is spreading rapidly, and there are more and more of them. The European Commission also expressed concern about this issue in the latest Report for 2022 on the progress of S. Macedonia on the path of European integration. The Report states that there are "growing threats from disinformation" and points to online media and social networks as the primary source of various types of disinformation.

- Internet media are not regulated by a particular law, and there are different views on the need for regulation, especially about the growing threat of disinformation. Online and social media platforms are the primary source of misinformation, misinformation, hate speech, violations of professional standards, and violations of intellectual property rights, according to the EC Report for 2022.

The EU document also adds that in the context of disinformation coming in connection with the war in Ukraine, the Macedonian government banned the rebroadcasting of Russian TV channels in March 2022 by amending the Law on Restrictive Measures. By the way, previous reports based on police sources indicate that the police have acted on dozens of cases so far, but they add that it is still very difficult because there are no concrete laws. Since then, they have been informed several times until now that there is no real criminal offense and that they can act on them only when they are related to another criminal offense. There is no criminal offense for fake news in the Criminal Code. The Ministry of Internal Affairs acts against fake news in coordination with the Public Prosecutors Office. This begs whether we need a new law making fake news a crime.

^{North Macedonian Media Partner Link: https://www.slobodenpecat.mk/eu-veli-deka-socijalnata-mrezha-iks-najmnogu-lazhe-na-koja-najmnogu-i-veruvaat-makedoncite/}