DISINFO: The EU intends to create a "Ministry of Truth" and institutionalise censorship
SUMMARY
The initiative to create an EU “center for countering disinformation” amounts to institutionalizing censorship in the EU and violates Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The proposed body would be akin to the “Ministry of Truth” from George Orwell’s 1984, where state control over information is absolute.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative attacking the European Union.
Created under the European Democracy Shield initiative, the European Centre for Democratic Resilience will aim to strengthen Europe’s ability to spot and counter foreign information manipulation and interference. It will bring together existing networks, researchers, civil society groups, fact-checkers, and media organisations to share knowledge, coordinate responses, and build stronger defences against attempts to undermine democracy.
In her recent State of the Union Address, the EC President Ursula von der Leyen said: "Our democracy is under attack. The rise in information manipulation and disinformation is dividing our societies. It is not only eroding trust in the truth – but also in democracy itself. This is why we urgently need the European Democracy Shield. We need more capacity to monitor and detect information manipulation and disinformation."
The claim misrepresents both how EU institutions work and what Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) actually says. Article 19 protects freedom of expression, although it explicitly allows governments to regulate information when doing so is necessary for national security, public order, or protection of the rights of others.
Claims that the EU engages in censorship and violates the right to free speech have long been part of the Kremlin’s playbook, particularly regarding attempts to curb disinformation originating from Moscow. See also: Europe tramples on free speech as it bans pro-Kremlin outlets; EU introduces censorship ahead of European Parliament elections; Western governments impose censorship and silence dissidents; There is more freedom of speech in Russia than in Europe and other similar cases.