Going forward disinformation will have a price tag, or: What the EU’s Digital Services Act will bring

The world of disinformation is about to change. At least, when it comes to monitoring, understanding, and moderating content online. Disinformation aims to sow discord, fuel unrest, and polarise society; it is spread in a targeted, intentional manner. And, until now, it has often been difficult to counter and/or take-down because content may be misleading, awful, or false, but not necessarily illegal. In a few months, the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) will become applicable and change the digital landscape, with effects beyond Europe. In our panel discussion, we aim to cover and explain three interlinked aspects of the disinformation space:  The status quo: platform terms of services and content policies, as well as the role of monitoring and research.  The upcoming state of the art: defining disinformation as a systemic risk to society, the role of vetted researchers and civil society participation.  Future threats to prepare for: technology trends and the DSA’s applicability, as well as ideas for how to tackle these from a research and civil society perspective.  Our renowned panelists will share insights from their own work and help us draw attention to the myriad of possibilities for strengthening both, our understanding of disinformation as well as the resilience of public discourse online.