FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman//File Photo

By Foo Yun Chee and Lili Bayer

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Europe is looking to online platforms and influencers to help fight disinformation and promote democracy according to a European Commission strategy presented on Wednesday amid concerns over interference by foreign governments in national elections.

Alphabet's Google, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Elon Musk's X, TikTok and other online platforms already have to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content under the EU's Digital Services Act in force since 2022.

The European Democracy Shield strategy expects them to go the extra mile, with the EU executive setting up a DSA incidents and crisis protocol to facilitate coordination between authorities and react swiftly to large-scale operations.

Signatories to a voluntary Code of Conduct on disinformation, among them Google, Microsoft, Meta and TikTok, may be required to make a greater effort to detect and label AI-generated and manipulated content on their platforms.

"The Democracy Shield connects the dots, making sure Europe's tools and actors work together effectively in defence of our shared values. The challenge is clear and let us make no mistake, the stakes are indeed very high," EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath told a news conference.

The Commission also singled out influencers' role in online political campaigns, saying it would set up a voluntary network of influencers to raise awareness of relevant EU rules.

A newly set-up European Centre for Democratic Resilience will coordinate EU countries' expertise and resources and facilitate information sharing.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)