Moncloa activates a plan to evaluate "continuously" what it perceives as misinformation

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The Government launches its procedure for action against disinformation.

A matter that worries and occupies in Moncloa.

Pedro Sánchez himself already announced in his inauguration speech that it would be a priority for his cabinet.

The Presidency of the Government and the Secretary of State for Communication will take the reins of this plan, which it considers "essential to establish means of operation and mechanisms aimed at continuously evaluating the phenomenon of disinformation at a global level and particularly for Spain."

This procedure was approved by the National Security Council and is published this Thursday in the BOE.

The reins of the same will be held by two men from Moncloa: Iván Redondo, head of the cabinet of the Presidency of the Government, and

, Secretary of State for Communication.

The order indicates as "one of the pillars that sustain democratic societies and that institutions and public administrations must ensure" "truthful and diverse information", but warns of the threat posed by "deliberate, large-scale and systematic dissemination of disinformation, which seek to influence society for self-serving and spurious purposes ".

To deal with and combat disinformation, the Executive creates a Permanent Commission against disinformation, the purpose of which will be to "ensure inter-ministerial coordination at the operational level in the field of disinformation."

This body will be coordinated by the Secretary of State for Communication and chaired ordinarily by the director of the Department of National Security, who in turn will act as Secretary.

The Government endorses the strategic lines of the

which, with the "objective of tackling disinformation and reinforcing the resilience of European societies", contemplates, among other things, increasing electoral integrity and guaranteeing that electoral systems are free and fair;

strengthen freedom of expression and democratic debate, examining the freedom and pluralism of the media, as well as the role of civil society.

It also exposes the need to address disinformation in a "consistent manner, considering the need to examine the means used to interfere with democratic systems, based on actions on the fight against disinformation related to Covid-19."

Four levels of action

The procedure, as established in the order published in the BOE, establishes four different levels of activation with which Moncloa wants to detect both disinformation campaigns and their analysis of possible impacts on National Security, as well as support in the management of situations of crisis where there could be an affectation derived from said campaigns.

Among the action measures that the Government will implement are, depending on the level imposed, monitoring and surveillance for detection, early warning, notification and analysis;

participation in the Rapid Alert System of the European Union (RAS) and activation of the protocols;

as well as the activation, where appropriate, of a coordination cell against disinformation activated

by the director of the Department of National Security, through the realization of a public communication campaign directed by the Secretary of State for Communication in function of the nature of the disinformation campaign.

Activation levels

- Level 1: Level with the capacity to act at a technical level to detect, carry out early warning and notify according to its reference community.

- Level 2: Level with the capacity to support coordination, synchronize and prioritize all efforts in the fight against disinformation

- Level 3: Level at which decisions are made and objectives of a political-strategic nature are set in order to confront a disinformation campaign.

- Level 4: Level of political management within the framework of the national security system.

In its approach, the Government places as "the foundation of the resilience of our societies in the face of challenges", "freedom of expression and the freedom and plurality of the media", and appeals to the latter to collaborate in its plan.

The Executive may request the collaboration of the private sector, that is, the media, digital platforms, associations, NGOs and those people in their capacity as experts, whose contribution is considered relevant to carry out "actions such as identification and non-contribution to the dissemination of disinformation, the promotion of awareness activities and the training or development of tools to prevent it from spreading in the digital environment, among others ".

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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