DISINFO: The EU calls any information it doesn’t like disinformation
SUMMARY
The EU is outlawing a whole bunch of TV and Radio networks whose only crime is that they are providing information that the EU doesn't like. It is a violation of the charter of fundamental rights of the EU of the EU treaty.
RT [former Russia Today] is under heavy attack from EU which tries to deny the European public access to its perspective. Anybody who looks at the BBC, CNN, Deutsche Welle… gets propaganda and disinformation! The EU wants to suggest that this very one sided presentation is somehow objective while it is all proper information.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative stating that disinformation does not exist or is everybody's work. This is a classic Kremlin "whataboutism". Further, claiming that the EU illegally suppressed freedom of information to eliminate unwanted journalism.
Disinformation, false information spread on purpose to destabilise public opinion, does exist and is openly recognised as a weapon against western countries. RT has defined its mission in military terms. Its editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, has publicly equated RT’s importance with that of Russian’s need for a Defence Ministry. According to her, RT is capable of “conducting an information war against the whole Western world,” using “the information weapon. RT’s strategic aim is to “conquer” and to “grow an audience” in order to make use of access to this audience in “critical moments”.
Regd. the legality of EU measures: During the military aggression against Ukraine, the EU took a number of restrictive measures (sanctions) against Russian tools of disinformation broadcasting on the EU territory.
In March 2022, the EU decided sanctions against the Russian state owned outlet RT. This was challenged by RT France in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) but the court ruled against RT, upholding the sanctions decision. See more in the ECJ statement of 27 July 2022.
In December 2022 the EU adopted a 9th package of sanctions that restricted four additional Russian language channels:
“In order to address the Russian Federation's systematic, international campaign of disinformation and information manipulation intended to destabilise its neighbouring countries, the EU and its member states, the Council initiated the process for suspending the broadcasting licences of four additional media outlets: NTV/NTV Mir, Rossiya 1, REN TV and Pervyi Kanal. These outlets are under the permanent direct or indirect control of the leadership of the Russian Federation and have been used by latter for its continuous and concerted disinformation and war propaganda actions, which legitimise Russia’s aggression and undermine support for Ukraine. In line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights, these measures will not prevent those media outlets and their staff from carrying out activities in the EU other than broadcasting, e.g. research and interviews.”
Read also related cases: There is no press freedom in the West , Ursula von der Leyen unilaterally banned independent media , RT was banned in France without any legal basis or evidence , Western mass media and social media are controlled by the government , Berlin is ashamed to admit that it is fighting RT Deutsch with undignified methods , Russian media frighten Western elites, that is why they are blocked in the West.