Maharat Foundation, as part of the "Media Reform to Enhance Freedom of Expression in Lebanon" project supported by the European Union, co-publishes the study "Regulation of Social Media and Elections in Europe" in collaboration with the European Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC). This study produced by MJRC provides a detailed analysis of how European countries are addressing the challenges posed by social media in the electoral process, focusing on combating misinformation, ensuring transparency in political advertising, and protecting the integrity of democratic elections.

The report is structured as follows. The background context sets out the criteria used to assess the challenges, opportunities, and risks associated with the use of social media platforms during elections. It starts with the premise that social media platforms play a dual role in the electoral process and that the reliability of online information is crucial during elections. Fair elections cannot take place without an environment that promotes access to transparent and trustworthy information that inspires public confidence, shaping public perception of the legitimacy of the electoral process. A detailed discussion of the potential risks to election integrity and social media platforms is provided in Sections III and IV, based on analysis of extant evidence-based interdisciplinary research. Of particular interest are the efforts of the European Union to protect the electoral process from the dangers of disinformation without infringing upon freedom of opinion and expression. The legal and regulatory responses of the European Union are outlined in Section V. Section VI focuses on specific case studies which introduce more detailed evidence for the observations and claims made in the report and examine regulatory and legislative arrangements in the countries under review. The subsequent sections provide conclusions and recommendations for Lebanon.

Building on this report, Maharat Foundation aims to foster dialogue and inform policy discussions in Lebanon, contributing to media reform initiatives that uphold freedom of expression, promote transparency, and safeguard democratic values.

To read the study:
Regulation of Social Media and Elections in Europe