Disinformation is
verifiably false or
misleading information
created, presented and
disseminated for economic
gain or to intentionally
deceive the public.
In Bulgaria, the President, based on freedom of expression, vetoed two
provisions of the initially adopted law. These were subsequently not adopted
during re-voting in parliament. The first incriminated the dissemination of
incorrect information on the spread of infectious disease, which, according
to the President, was not in compliance with human rights standards on
freedom of speech.231
European Commission,
https://ec.europa.eu/digitalsingle-market/en/tacklingonline-disinformation
RIGHT TO ACCESSIBLE
INFORMATION
Most Member States disseminated
information about COVID-19 and
measures taken to prevent its
spread through mainstream media,
as well as through the internet and
social media. Many states set up
dedicated websites and hotlines
with up to date information. Some
Member States (for example
Luxembourg279 and Slovenia280)
delivered leaflets to private
households about COVID-19 and
how to prevent infection.
Many Member States provided
information in multiple languages.
Bulgarian National Radio provides
information on COVID-19 on
its website in ten languages.281
Sweden also publishes information
on its website in multiple
languages.282 The Austrian
Integration Fund offers up-to-date
information in 14 languages, as
well as a multi-lingual hotline.283
Despite efforts by many Member
States to provide information in
multiple languages, challenges
remain in terms of equality of
access to information for harder to
reach groups within society, which
in turn affects equality of access
to health. For example, Member
States face challenges in providing
information to people in asylum
reception centres in different
languages.
Some Member States have
taken steps to make information
accessible to persons with
disabilities, in some cases following
criticism from civil society. For
example, the deaf and hard of
hearing could not understand
the Dutch government said during
its first press conference.284
The Austrian Broadcasting Service
has made major press conferences
available in Austrian Sign Language
and in an easy-to-understand
version.285
The Slovenian National Institute
of Public Health produced basic
information and instructions
aimed at persons with visual
impairments.286
In addition, mediators are often
needed to effectively reach
out to certain groups within
society, where other barriers to
accessing information may arise
in addition to language (such as
literacy issues, for example, in the
case of written information). In
Bulgaria, human rights activists
expressed concerns about the lack
of information in Roma language
on national television.287 Within
the Roma communities, health
mediators took on the task of
disseminating information about
the symptoms and prevention
of COVID-19, including through a
special easy-to-read leaflet.288
39
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