Cracking the Code: An Evaluation of the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation 2019 EU Elections

The report finds that while the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation (CoPD) led to some progress in political advertising transparency, its overall effectiveness was undermined by its self-regulatory nature and lack of enforcement mechanisms. Analysis of Facebook, Google, and Twitter reveals significant gaps in data integrity, the persistence of inauthentic account networks, and limited data access for independent researchers. The author argues that voluntary self-regulation is insufficient and recommends a systemic regulatory approach focused on computational transparency across content moderation, advertising, complaints, and algorithms.

• The EU Code of Practice on Disinformation (CoPD) was fundamentally limited by its self-regulatory structure and the absence of penalties for non-compliance, proving that voluntary efforts are inadequate for systemic change.
• Progress in political advertising transparency was inconsistent across platforms: Facebook provided the broadest coverage but suffered from poor enforcement and data integrity; Google's API was well-designed but released too late for significant pre-election research; and Twitter's scope was limited.
• Facebook's transparency tools contained a loophole where shared political ads lost their 'paid for' labels, making them appear as organic content and obscuring funding sources.
• Enforcement against inauthentic behavior and 'bots' was sporadic and ineffective, with platforms often failing to remove reported coordinated networks of accounts.
• Tech companies failed to provide the research community with sufficient, timely, and consistent access to data, often treating access as a privilege rather than a standard.
• The report recommends that the EU move toward a regulatory model based on 'computational transparency' across four key areas: content moderation, advertising, complaints and redress, and algorithms.

APA

Colliver, C. (n.d.). Cracking the Code: An Evaluation of the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation 2019 EU Elections. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/isd_Cracking-the-Code.pdf

Chicago

Colliver, Chloe. Cracking the Code: An Evaluation of the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation 2019 EU Elections. Institute for Strategic Dialogue, n.d. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/isd_Cracking-the-Code.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Colliver |first1=Chloe |title=Cracking the Code: An Evaluation of the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation 2019 EU Elections |publisher=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/isd_Cracking-the-Code.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{colliverndcracking, author = {Colliver, Chloe}, title = {{Cracking the Code: An Evaluation of the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation 2019 EU Elections}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/isd_Cracking-the-Code.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }