The collective securitization of ‘disinformation’ and the EU's ban on Russia Today and Sputnik

On 1 March 2022, in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Council of the European Union introduced sanctions that restricted the broadcasting of Russian state-affiliated media Sputnik and Russia Today in the EU. This article explores how and why this measure came into being. It constitutes a particularly surprising development in EU information governance for two reasons. First, it restricts freedom of the press and of information, which are fundamental pillars of liberal democracy. Second, the regulation of media content is a competence usually reserved to EU member states and overseen by independent authorities. Building on 20 interviews with policy-makers and experts, the article retraces the socio-political process that ultimately led to the broadcasting ban. To do so, it uses securitization theory, a framework which helps us to understand how new security issues arise. It analyses the development of ‘disinformation’ policies in the EU and identifies key players and their reasoning in the negotiations leading to the ban, which happened in record time under special procedures of crisis decision-making. The Baltic states and the European Commission stand out for their important influence as strong advocates and policy entrepreneurs. The article also analyses public reception of this measure, discussing the long-term consequences it may have on digital and security policy and on European society at large. It highlights issues of legitimacy, effectiveness and coherence in EU policies that may undermine the liberal democratic foundation those policies claim to protect.