Michał Kobosko (Renew). – Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, fake news, manipulation and simple lies pose a serious threat to the integrity of our democracies. These threats are not abstract. We can see how disinformation is being used today to divide societies, undermine citizens' trust in politicians and state institutions, or even influence scientific achievements.

There are numerous examples, from false information on vaccines to manipulation regarding climate change. A single fake video or a manipulated post can destabilise democracy and elections in our Member States.

This is not just a TikTok problem in Romania. Just yesterday, reports emerged that before the 2023 parliamentary elections in Poland, hackers – likely acting on behalf of Russian secret service – sent out nearly 200 000 text messages urging votes for the then ruling Law and Justice Party. They unsuccessfully attempted to send another 600 000 messages.

Our response has to be strong. Democracy cannot survive if citizens do not have access to the truthful information. We must create effective regulations that will target those who deliberately spread lies and disinformation.