The EU adopts the European Media Freedom Act

The Council of the European Union gave final approval on 26 March 2024 to the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), a regulation directly applicable in all twenty-seven member states.

Its main provisions include protection of journalistic sources — including a ban, subject to narrow exceptions and judicial oversight, on installing spyware on journalists’ devices — a requirement that media outlets disclose ownership information, independence safeguards for public media, and transparent criteria for the allocation of state advertising.

The law also creates a European Board for Media Services and sets out a procedure to stop large online platforms from arbitrarily removing content from media that meet editorial standards. Its provisions have been fully applicable since 8 August 2025.

Source: Council of the European Union.