Today, during the session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, we talked about disinformation on social media and its use to influence elections in Europe. 
We live in a time when information travels around the world faster than we can verify it. What we once called a rumor can now become a “fact” in just a few clicks. Disinformation is not an accidental mistake – it is a weapon used to divide people, destroy trust, sow fear, provoke anger, a sense of injustice. And angry, scared, manipulated citizens are vulnerable citizens.
Why all this?
Disinformation has become a means to gain power. We saw it in the United States, in Romania, and we all know that it can happen again.
Of course, all lies can be corrected, but we know that once information is carried by social media algorithms, it will not be so easy to erase it from voters’ memories.
And this is a real problem, because it directly affects our lives. What to do? Verify, educate, react when we see lies. This is the only way we can build a reality based on truth, not manipulation.
During the last plenary session in Strasbourg, I took the floor in the debate on disinformation in SM:
Mr. Chairman! I have been listening to this debate for several hours now and I am truly speechless when I hear what the right side is saying here. And I am surprised that in the 21st century we still have to explain to our colleagues what freedom of speech means. Young people are listening to our debate. Freedom of speech, of course, yes, but freedom of speech cannot be used to divide people, to destroy trust, to sow fear, to provoke anger or a sense of injustice. Why do you do this? Why are you not educated, but you like to disinform. Because disinformation makes people susceptible to information that should not reach them. This is of course in your interest. And this was very well seen in the example of Romania, which was very often mentioned here today.
I have a question for the Commissioner. We have presidential elections ahead of us in Poland. We are afraid that the Romanian scenario may also come true in the presidential elections in Poland. What should we do about this?
