Risks relating to multi-million EU funding of centralised (and often left-leaning) fact checkers

Question for written answer E-001663/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Beatrice Timgren (ECR), Charlie Weimers (ECR), Dick Erixon (ECR) Subject: Risks relating to multi-million EU funding of centralised (and often left-leaning) fact checkers The Commission recently launched a EUR 5 million call1 under the Digital Europe Programme to strengthen the European Fact-Checking Standards Network2. Objectives covered by the funding from Brussels include expanding fact-checking capacity, developing sustainable business models and protecting fact checkers from harassment while providing them with legal and relocation support. The further funding of such centralised structures risks consolidating influence among a limited number of actors who lack democratic legitimacy and political neutrality. Unlike the transparent and consensus-based model used in Community Notes on X – now being adopted by other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram3 – the Commission’s approach relies on opaque selection and review processes. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pointed out that fact checkers often exhibit a leftleaning bias. The current US presidential administration has criticised centralised fact-checking as undemocratic. Continued EU reliance on such models may undermine free speech and further strain transatlantic ties. Bearing in mind what has been said above: 1. Why has the Commission adopted a critical view of relatively more transparent and open-source alternatives to fact-checking, such...