The largest online platforms in Russia as well as fact-checking organisations (mass media, expert agencies) signed a memorandum of cooperation on October 7 with the goal to create an atmosphere of trust when distributing content online. RUTUBE also joined in the signing of the memorandum. The signing ceremony was held at the TASS press center.
The initiators of the memorandum of cooperation for the systematic fight against fakes online were owners of large online platforms that feature user-generated content as well as fact checkers (mass media, expert agencies), which see user demand for fighting inaccurate information. The initiative to draft a memorandum and develop uniform rules for identifying and labelling fakes is an example of self-organisation within the industry and a logical answer to society’s demands.
This is an open memorandum, meaning that any interested Russian and foreign online resources can join in. The first Russian websites to join were Mail.ru Group, Yandex.Zen, Rambler&Co, RUTUBE, Avito, MirTesen and the foreign content platform Likee. TASS, Interfax, Vedomosti, RBC, Izvestia, TheBell, URA.RU and Dialog have agreed to help identify fakes. The latter will ensure swift communication with state authorities to quickly check relevant information at the federal and regional levels. At the suggestion of the online community, ROCIT served as a public platform for the document’s signing.