How the EU Digital Services Act helps promote free and fair elections

In 2024, more than 4 billion of people are eligible to vote in elections that are taking place in over 60 countries all over the world. Ensuring free and fair elections is at the core of every democracy. Equally, protecting the integrity of elections is one of the main priorities under the EU Digital Services Act. The biggest platforms must identify, analyse, and mitigate systemic risks related to electoral processes and civic discourse, while ensuring protection of freedom of expression. They are required to put in place effective measures to address these risks, such as adapting the design or functioning of their services, changing recommender systems, or increasing resources to better identify systemic risks. They must also be transparent about advertising, recommender systems, and content moderation decisions that could impact electoral processes. Additionally, they are required to share data with authorities and allow vetted researchers to access platform data to help detect, identify, and understand systemic risks related to elections. Since the entry into force of the DSA for the first designated Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines at the end of August 2023, the Commission has engaged in election integrity readiness dialogues. What are the outcomes so far? What are some of the most effective best-practices to ensure elections integrity? Can we expect safer elections in the EU and elsewhere in the world?

Join the EU Office in San Francisco for our latest Brussels to the Bay policy event on 2 May! The panel discussion will host Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director General of DG CNECT at the European Commission and renowned academic, civil society and industry experts to discuss what concrete practices online platforms adopt or should adopt to mitigate online risks connected to elections such as organized disinformation campaigns or deep fakes dissemination, how they can empower users and increase their public accountability.

When: Thursday, May 2nd, 10:00 am (PST)

Where: EU Office in San Francisco - 1 Post Street, suite 2300

AGENDA

• 10:00 - 10.30 | Walk-in & Breakfast
• 10:30 – 10:35 | Introductory remarks by Gerard de Graaf (Senior EU Envoy for Digital to the U.S. & Head of the EU Office in San Francisco)
• 10:35 – 11:30 | Panel discussion

MEET OUT SPEAKERS

Gerard de Graaf, Senior EU Envoy for Digital to the U.S. & Head of the EU Office in San Francisco

Gerard de Graaf is Director for Digital Transformation in Directorate-General “Communications Networks, Content & Technology” (DG CONNECT). In this capacity, he is responsible for several policies and instruments, which are key to the development of the digital economy in Europe. In addition to overall preparation of the EU’s digital strategies, and links between Digital and the Green Deal, his Directorate is inter alia responsible for the coordination of the digital components of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), digital platforms policy (including the Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts), e-commerce and geo-blocking, blockchain, standardization, innovation and start-up policy, access to finance, digital skills, and competition aspects and economic analysis of the digital economy (through the Digital Economy and Society Index – DESI).

Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director-General, DG Connect, European Commission

Renate Nikolay is deputy director general at DG Connect at the European Commission responsible for platforms regulation. Before that, she was head of cabinet of Vera Jourova, the European commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality. Before that, she led the Unit of interinstitutional and international relations in DG Justice between 2011 and 2014. She has also been an advisor in the cabinet of the first High Representative and Vice President Catherine Ashton where she led on the relations with the European Parliament in setting up the European External Action Service (EEAS) and on relations with Asia, in particular China. Before that, she was a member of the cabinet of Trade Commissioners Peter Mandelson and Catherine Ashton from 2004 to 2009. Nikolay holds an M.A. as a Fulbright Scholar in Washington DC and a B.A. in law from the Free University in Berlin.

Two types of tickets are available: in-person participation and online participation. For online attendees, Zoom link will be sent by email the day before the event.

For question or inquiries, please contact us at [email protected].

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Office of the European Union, 1 Post Street, San Francisco, United States