On 15 April, the AIDA and INGE Special Committees held a hearing on the future of democracy in the digital age and on how to strike the right regulatory balances in our increasingly tech-driven societies. The two panels addressed the challenges the EU is facing in its current trajectory towards the 2030 Digital Decade, such as the impact of AI on democratic and electoral processes, as well as how AI is affecting the notions of active citizenship, political participation, and policy-making.
On 13 April, the INGE Special Committee organised, in association with the IMCO Committee, a hearing on "Interference through advertisement". Along with three experts, the committees raised ads-related topics, such as election interference through advertisements and ad-funded disinformation, monetisation strategy used by disinformation actors, and the specific Google policy related to advertising and possible detection of messages promoting anti-democratic values.
On Tuesday 30 March, INGE and the EP Delegation for relations with Canada held jointly and exchange of views on foreign interference, disinformation and social media and the cooperation between EU and Canada.
The FEMM Committee and the INGE Committee held a joint hearing on "Foreign interference on the financing of anti-choice organisations in the EU" on 25 March 2021.
On Wednesday 17 March, from 9.00 to 11.00, INGE held a hearing on "Democracy online: what are the risks? How to protect us?" with the experts Marietje Schaake, Liisa Past and Rafael Rubio. On the second part of the meeting, INGE Rapporteur, Sandra Kalniete, presented the "Working document on covert funding of political activities by foreign donors.
On Monday 1 March, the INGE Committee invited HR/VP Josep Borrell to its meeting. Members questioned him on the EEAS' strategy to battle foreign interference. They enquired him on the choices he has made in the past and what strategies will be developed in the future.