European Commission Consultation Webpage
Responses From the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA)
IFLA provides 23 responses in a six page document.
Here’s the first question and IFLA response.
Q. In your opinion, which criteria should be used to define fake news for the purposes of scoping the problem?
- Pretence of providing factual information (i.e. not opinion, or necessary conspiracy theories)
- Malicious intent to mislead (i.e. not error)
- Knowing repetition/relaying of sources (government or other) as fact, rather than quotation/opinion
- Apparent similarity to ‘news’ (i.e. focused on short-term information. This would not necessarily include poor research practice – this is already subject to professional procedures elsewhere – but would include deliberate mis-reporting of research results). Importantly, though, it should take account of how people source information now – focusing on newspapers alone is not enough.
- Refusal or reluctance to correct errors, or not giving prominence to these.
Direct to Full Text Response Document
See Also: Report From IFLA: “Real Solutions to Fake News: How Libraries Help” (August 20, 2017)
From the August 2017 Report

Source: IFLA