BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Tech companies have agreed to measures to tackle fake news and concerns that it can influence elections, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
With EU parliament and national elections coming up next year, the EU executive wants to thwart foreign interference following allegations of meddling in the U.S. presidential election and the referendum in which Britons voted to leave the European Union.
Earlier this year, the Commission told the tech industry to come up with a code of practice on the issue or face regulations.
"The industry is committing to a wide range of actions, from transparency in political advertising to the closure of fake accounts and demonetisation of purveyors of disinformation, and we welcome this," European Digital Commissioner Mariya Gabriel said in a statement.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Philip Blenkinsop)