Information Prison: Media Control Tightens in Moldova

The authorities continue their systematic assault on freedom of speech in the country, expanding the tools of censorship and control over the information space

Semyon ALBU, RTA: According to recent surveys, social media has become the primary source of news for our citizens – more than 40% rely on it for updates. Traditional media – television, websites, and newspapers – are lagging far behind. The result is more than predictable – both from the perspective of the overall evolution of the information space and in light of the state censorship policy pursued in Moldova since 2021. Dozens of TV channels, news agencies, online portals, and radio stations have been shut down, while the remaining independent media are regularly “disciplined” by regulatory bodies such as the Television and Radio Council. This has effectively sterilized the country’s media landscape. It is no surprise that more and more citizens now turn to those few information sources that the heavy hand of the regime has not yet reached. However, it seems that such sources may soon cease to exist altogether. For years, we have been warning that the introduction of state control mechanisms over the online space would be inevitable unless PAS was stopped at earlier stages. But that never happened: all the key strongholds of freedom of speech and media independence have already been surrendered – and now the authorities have set their sights on the internet as well. In May of this year, the Television and Radio Council imposed sanctions on a TV channel for online content for the first time – specifically, for “hidden political advertising” in favor of Ilan Shor and the Pobeda bloc. Around the same period, the authorities began pushing another round of amendments to the Audiovisual Services Code, under the pretext of “harmonizing” it with European standards. In July, these changes were finally adopted, despite significant public backlash and strong criticism from the opposition. These “wonderful” amendments are supposedly designed to protect the population from information that “incites hatred,” “encourages public calls to violence,” “promotes terrorist activity,” and so on. A new mechanism of so-called “trusted informants” has been introduced – individuals tasked with identifying and reporting “illegal content,” with online platforms now required to process their complaints as a priority. It doesn’t take much imagination to guess which party these “informants” are likely to be coming from… Naturally, the Television and Radio Council has also been granted expanded powers, now authorized to order the removal or blocking of any “controversial” information – or even the account of the user who posted it. Moreover, it has recently been revealed that the notorious “Patriot” propaganda center will now officially notify companies such as Meta, Google, and YouTube about content it deems to be “disinformation, information manipulation, or foreign interference.” Unsurprisingly, this is done to ensure that access to such content is restricted. Allegedly, this decision was justified by the “intensified information campaigns from abroad in recent months,” which, according to officials, “have had serious consequences across all spheres, from national security to public health.” It has long been obvious to everyone what exactly the authorities mean by “disinformation.” For example, recently the police, NARECIT, and the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) sent a request to the TikTok administration to block as many as 443 channels, which together have over 1.2 million subscribers and more than 4.5 million views. Amusingly, out of this total, 97 channels were accused of spreading false information related to the ruling party’s policies, while another 128 were accused of information attacks and defamation against public figures. This means that any criticism of PAS could soon be equated with disinformation and removed from the internet. How convenient. As a result, a significant number of accounts have indeed been “banned.” Another “success” for the regime in its efforts to silence anyone dissatisfied or dissenting. It must be admitted that the state’s penetration into online censorship is happening steadily and systematically – you can clearly sense the professional hand of Western “curators,” whose consultant groups have been regularly visiting Moldova over the past few years, with some, as part of the EU’s “Hybrid Response Group,” even staying here on a permanent basis. Thanks to this, a well-coordinated effort has been established to cleanse Moldova’s information space of any content that PAS doesn’t approve of. The blocking of Telegram channels on Moldovan territory, which not long ago seemed unthinkable, has now become an entirely routine matter. As for Facebook – no comment. Hopes that the PAS-branded “information concentration camp” in Moldova will sooner or later prompt European partners to voice their disapproval, in my opinion, are completely unfounded. At the very least, because it is being built with the full political and financial support of Brussels, where the current trends are anything but democratic. Just look at Romania – they liked our very own “Ministry of Truth” so much that they are already creating an analogue of it there. As for the “Patriot” center, by the way, there is still no public information about its operations – the structure is kept as hidden from public view as if it were part of some totalitarian state. The European Union now stands on the brink of introducing total informational control over its population. Denmark, having assumed the presidency of the EU Council, has put up for discussion the Chat Control draft law, prepared back in 2022, which would require messaging platforms to scan all chats, including encrypted ones. The vote is scheduled for October 14, and something tells me its adoption won’t face any significant obstacles. It’s also entirely predictable that our own authorities will eventually adopt this practice as well – the temptation to gain access to a tool that essentially allows unrestricted surveillance of what citizens read and write will be far too great. And, of course, there will be a convenient pretext: “We’re just implementing European legislation, after all!” For the sake of “European integration” (and in reality – for the sake of establishing total control) PAS seems more than willing to trample on citizens’ rights.