Brussels. 25 March 2025
Signatories of the Code of Conduct on Disinformation, including major online platforms (Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok), published their latest reports detailing the actions they are taking under the Code to combat the spread of disinformation online.
The reports include dedicated chapters on their actions related to ongoing crises – such as the war in Ukraine and the Hamas-Israel conflict, as well as the measures they took to ensure the integrity of elections.
Under the Code, signatories who are major online platforms, committed to report every 6 months on their actions, while other signatories report once per year.
These latest reports – the fifth for these platforms – are now available in the Transparency Centre of the Code alongside previously published reports from 2023 and 2024. The platform’s reports cover the period of 1 July to 31 December.
On 13 February, the Commission and the European Board for Digital Services endorsed the Code of Practice on Disinformation as a Code of Conduct, integrating it into the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The conversion will take effect from 1 July 2025. With this integration, the Code of Conduct will serve as a relevant benchmark for determining DSA compliance under Article 35 of the DSA.
More information:
- Code of Conduct on Disinformation
- Transparency Centre
- Codes of conduct under the Digital Services Act
The road that led to the Code of Conduct
The 2018 Code of Practice on Disinformation brought together for the first time worldwide industry players to commit to counter disinformation. At the core of the EU strategy against disinformation, the Code has proven to be an effective tool to limit the spread of online disinformation, including during electoral periods and to quickly respond to crises, such as the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
Following the Commission’s Assessment of its first period of implementation, the Commission published in May 2021 detailed Guidance to address the shortcomings of the 2018 Code, proposing solutions to make it more effective. The signatories of the 2018 Code, joined by a broad range of prospective signatories, engaged in the revision process that led to the Strengthened Code presented to the Commission on 16th of June 2022.
The 2022 Code was drafted with the aim of becoming a Code of Conduct under the Digital Services Act (DSA). In January 2025 the Signatories of the Code submitted all necessary documents supporting their request for its conversion into a DSA “Code of Conduct”. Apart from technical amendments and minimal changes to the Preamble, to adapt to the DSA’s entry into force, the text of the Code remained unchanged compared to the 2022 version. On that basis, the European Board for Digital Services and the Commission adopted their positive opinions in February 2025, concluding that the Code meets the conditions specified in the DSA and endorsing its official integration into the DSA framework.
Signatories
Very Large Online Platforms (VLOP)
- Meta
- TikTok
Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSE)
- Google Search
- Bing
Advertising Ecosystem
- DoubleVerify
- NewsGuard
- Twitch
Civil Society Organisations
- Avaaz
- Democracy Reporting International
- CEE Digital Democracy Watch
- Debunk
- GDI – Global Disinformation Index
- GLOBSEC
- VOST Europe
Fact-Checking Organisations
- Demagog
- Demagog.cz
- Pagella Politica / Facta.News
- Faktograf
- Les Surligneurs
- Logically
- Maldita.es
- Newtral
- Resolver (formerly Crisp)
- Science Feedback
Online Platforms
- Seznam.cz
- The Bright App
- Who Targets Me
Organisations Offering Tools Against Disinformation
- ActiveFence
- Ebiquity
Research Organisations
- AI Forensics
- Alliance4Europe
- Expert Forum
- FIDU – Federazione Italiana Diritti Umani
- Google Ads
- Google Search
- Messenger
- YouTube
Trade Organisations
- DOT Europe
- EFCSN
- EACA (European Association of Communication Agencies)
- IAB Europe
- Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Other
- Adobe
- Microsoft
- Microsoft Advertising
- Valid Tech
Former Signatories
- Legitimate
- MediaMath
- Newsback
- The GARM Initiative
- Vimeo
- World Federation of Advertisers (WFA)
Source – Desinfocode