MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/. The European Union has introduced mechanisms of digital censorship ahead of elections in Hungary, handing media platforms control over their outcome, according to a report by the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN).

"A few weeks before the elections in Hungary, Europe activated the Rapid Response System (RRS), officially to combat disinformation. In practice, however, social media platforms are turning a blind eye to the way the opposition circumvents platform rules, gaining millions of views, while content of the conservatives is subject to the strictest moderation," GFCN experts noted. According to them, by doing so "Brussels has handed algorithms and NGOs the remote control that can be used to quietly adjust the outcome of the national vote."

As explained in the GFCN report, on March 16, the European Commission officially activated the RRS, which coordinates the actions of 44 participants, including major platforms "to rapidly identify and restrict content classified as disinformation or foreign influence operations." While the stated goal is to protect the electoral process from manipulation, GFCN Geopolitical and Cybersecurity Expert Anna Andersen believes "this mechanism introduces a fundamental shift in how digital governance operates."

"The responsibility for specific moderation decisions is blurred between the Commission, the platforms, and NGOs. Platforms begin to anticipate regulatory risks and act with a margin of safety – they remove more content than the regulator formally requires, simply to avoid legal penalties," Andersen noted. As a result, users do not see a formal regulatory decision, but experience its consequences through algorithmic demotion – post views decline and comments are hidden, the expert explained.

"There is no specific moment where the European regulator crossed the line. Instead, there is pressure on platforms, accredited fact-checkers, and algorithms trained for extreme caution. The public conversation takes a form that no one officially prescribed, but all relevant institutions tacitly agreed upon," Andersen said.

Elections in Hungary

In the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Hungary and the newly activated mechanisms, the GFCN noted that "the interplay between regulation and platform policy becomes highly complex." "Civil society critics point out that many of the NGOs involved in the moderation network receive EU funding, raising questions about impartiality when evaluating content in a member state that frequently disputes European Commission policies," the report says.

According to the experts, political actors in Hungary use automated platform systems to their advantage. "Coordinated efforts by opposition supporters to mass-report the Prime Minister’s content can trigger automated moderation limits, subsequently decreasing the targeted account's algorithmic priority," the GFCN report explains.

Concerns about the platforms’ influence on Hungarian politics are also reinforced by previous moderation incidents, including restrictions imposed on the account of Laszlo Toroczkai, the leader of the right-wing Mi Hazank (Our Homeland) party.

At the same time, Andersen said it is important to consider the broader political context, noting that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seen as "a sort of enfant terrible within the EU." "He does not fit into the consensus, yet he remains within the system, using its mechanisms to his advantage. In this situation, the idea of his political weakening looks like a desirable development for many in Brussels," the expert noted.

"Any regulatory pressure on Hungary can be presented as routine law enforcement rather than a political decision," Andersen stated. She pointed out a recurring pattern where rapid response mechanisms have historically been activated primarily against right-wing and populist candidates, as was the case during elections in Romania, while rarely being applied against governments loyal to Brussels.