Audiovisual Council to monitor online platforms

The Audiovisual Council (AC) is set to receive extended powers to monitor the activity and content on online platforms. The Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) has submitted two legislative projects to Parliament aiming to amend the Audiovisual Code, allowing the institution to intervene more effectively in combating misinformation in the digital space.

Speaker Igor Grosu made the statement on Jurnal TV. He noted that the new legislative initiatives will provide the Audiovisual Council with "prerogatives, tools and flexibility" to act swiftly against harmful online content.

According to him, these new measures are necessary to strengthen the state's ability to handle the flow of misinformation in the virtual environment.

The current initiative follows the withdrawal in March by PAS of a controversial amendment from Parliament, which proposed penalties for "misinformation" on online platforms. The withdrawal came after intense public pressure and concerns over freedom of expression.

The new legislative projects will be debated in Parliament in the coming period. Authorities claim their purpose is to protect the informational space and ensure correct public communication, while civil society and media organizations will closely monitor the evolution of these measures and their potential implications for press freedom and digital rights.