On 13 February 2025, the European Commission and the European Board for Digital Services endorsed the official integration of the Code of Practice on Disinformation into the regulatory framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA). This marks a significant milestone in European efforts to combat online disinformation while safeguarding freedom of expression and promoting greater transparency.
The Code of Practice on Disinformation is a pioneering multi-stakeholder initiative involving online platforms, search engines, advertisers, fact-checkers, researchers, and civil society organisations. First established in 2018 and substantially reinforced in 2022, the Code sets out voluntary commitments to reduce the spread and impact of disinformation online.
As an academic signatory to the Code, Dr. Eileen Culloty, Deputy Director of the Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo), has played a role in supporting evidence-based approaches to disinformation policy and platform accountability.
In January 2025, signatories to the Code—including Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) such as Facebook, YouTube, Google Search, and TikTok—submitted the necessary documentation to request its formal recognition as a Code of Conduct under the DSA.
Following an assessment by the Commission and the European Board for Digital Services, the Code was deemed to meet the legal and procedural requirements set out in the DSA. Its official recognition as a Code of Conduct means it will serve as a key benchmark for evaluating compliance with disinformation-related obligations under the Act.
The Code's commitments will become auditable from 1 July 2025, at the request of the signatories. This transition marks a new era of co-regulation, where voluntary industry action is integrated into the EU’s binding digital governance framework.
Related Projects
In 2018, the European Commission convened representatives of major technology firms and the online advertising industry to develop a voluntary framework of industry self-regulation to fight disinformation. Under the Code of Practice, they committed to curbing disinformation and improving their online policies. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) commissioned FuJo to undertake research for three reports on the implementation of the Code: Elect Check (2019) assessed the online libraries...
