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Synthetic Manipulation and Electoral Integrity: Deepfakes, Bots, and the Limits of the EU’s Democratic Defense Package

Deepfakes, bots, and the limits of the EU’s democratic defense package
Authors: Mooij, Annelieke;

Synthetic Manipulation and Electoral Integrity: Deepfakes, Bots, and the Limits of the EU’s Democratic Defense Package

Abstract

This paper evaluates whether the EU’s Democratic Defense Package creates an adequate legal framework to address the risks posed by Deepfakes. The legal framework examined is the Digital Services Act (DSA), Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA), and GDPR adequately address the democratic risks posed by deepfakes. It identifies two main threats: synthetic media impersonating real people and bot-generated fake accounts. Both forms, distort political discourse, spread misinformation, and undermine electoral integrity. The AIA provides a structured framework for regulating manipulative AI systems, effectively classifying bots as deceptive tools but insufficiently covering private deepfake creators. The DSA enhances transparency and accountability for platforms but remains constrained by its focus on “illegal content,” national fragmentation, and weak enforcement mechanisms. Similarly, while the GDPR offers theoretical protection for individuals’ data rights, its effectiveness is limited in political contexts. Together, these frameworks establish a foundation for addressing digital manipulation but leave significant regulatory and enforcement gaps. Strengthening oversight of private deployers, clarifying the balance between harm and illegality, and improving response times to deepfakes are essential for safeguarding democratic discourse in the EU.

Country
Netherlands
Related Organizations
Keywords

SDG 16 - Peace, democracy, deepfake, AI Act, bots, social media, Freedom of speech, elections, Digital Services Act, Justice and Strong Institutions

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Powered by OpenAIRE graph
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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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