Reporters Without Borders warns of a "potential threat to press freedom" in Spain

• Reactions. Press editors warn: "it could violate the Constitution"

• Rafael de Mendizábal. "The ministerial order must be annulled by the Constitutional Court"

Reporters Without Borders

(RSF) issued a statement on Wednesday warning that the "excessive ambiguity" of the plan against disinformation approved by the Government of Spain "represents a potential danger to press freedom."

The organization denounces that it is not up to the Executive to decide what disinformation is and warns that it will be vigilant in the implementation of this rule in the future.

The norm, as RSF underlines, contemplates the launch of communication campaigns to counter misinformation maneuvers, but leaves

the decision on what is and what is not disinformation

in the hands of a

.

RSF "strongly condemns" this prerogative and warns that the text approved by the BOE does not make clear the powers of the commission that the Executive intends to create.

Press editors and different professional associations of journalists have also expressed their concern at this initiative of the Government, which could hinder the free exercise of journalism and even violate Article 20 of the Spanish Constitution.

"The Government must not only specify all the gaps present in this procedure, but correct as soon as possible that vision according to which the power to decide what is disinformation is theirs," says

, president of RSF Spain.

RSF recalls that it has been denouncing for years around the world the threat to press freedom posed by the approval of legislation with two of the main characteristics that, according to it, are now included in the order of the Government of Spain: "the

and

of its measures, scope of application and actors involved, as well as the governmental power to decide what is disinformation. "

In its statement, RSF also asks the Government to demonstrate its "commitment to transparency" and to publish data on the disinformation campaigns that it has detected against Spain, respecting the limits of national security, but fulfilling its reporting duty to society. And the media.

Reporters Without Borders believes the norm is "imprecise and potentially dangerous for fundamental freedoms such as information and expression", despite the fact that the

has endorsed the procedure approved by the Government and frames it within the action plan of the EU against Disinformation.

"The fight against disinformation is slippery enough terrain to rely on such an extremely diffuse and ambiguous rule," says Alfonso Armada.

"We have been denouncing laws around the world that use disinformation to undermine freedom of the press for too long to not worry," he adds.

And he concludes: "We will closely monitor the implementation of this standard."

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