(MENAFN) The European Union intends to establish a centralized platform to monitor and combat alleged foreign “disinformation,” according to a leaked document obtained by The Guardian. Critics warn the initiative could formalize a continent-wide censorship apparatus under Brussels’ control.

The proposal from the European Commission, scheduled for release on November 12, outlines the creation of a Centre for Democratic Resilience—a key part of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s “democracy shield” strategy ahead of the 2024 European elections.

Participation in the center would be voluntary, with the Commission inviting “like-minded partners” beyond the bloc, including the UK and several EU candidate countries.

The draft document accuses Russia of intensifying “hybrid attacks” through false narratives and singles out China as another source of disinformation, alleging that Beijing deploys PR firms and online influencers to shape opinion across Europe.

“By spreading deceitful narratives, sometimes including the manipulation and falsification of historical facts, they try to erode trust in democratic systems,” The Guardian quoted the document as saying, though it noted little concrete evidence was offered.

The Commission portrays the effort as a defensive measure against external interference, citing as an example the disputed cancellation of Romania’s 2024 presidential election.

However, Telegram founder Pavel Durov countered that it was actually the EU—specifically French intelligence—that had pressured him to suppress conservative content during elections in Romania and Moldova, denouncing what he called “a crusade” against free expression.

The planned center would expand the EU’s network of digital monitoring mechanisms, collaborating with self-described “independent” fact-checkers and social media influencers to amplify narratives aligned with Brussels’ policies.

The initiative dovetails with the Digital Services Act, which obliges online platforms to remove “harmful content,” a provision that free-speech advocates argue grants the Commission sweeping powers to police information.

The United States, once a partner in joint “disinformation” tracking via the now-defunct Global Engagement Center, has distanced itself from Brussels’ regulatory push. The U.S. State Department recently called the EU’s efforts “Orwellian,” warning that “censorship is not freedom” and accusing the bloc of insulating its leaders “from their own people.”

“If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you,” U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance told the Munich Security Conference in February, referring to the Romanian election. “If your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with.”

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