Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – The EU accused Meta and TikTok on Friday of breaking the bloc’s digital content rules, putting the companies at risk of hefty fines. The European Union has a bolstered legal armoury that demands Big Tech prevent the spread of illegal content and ensure digital markets are open to competition.
On Friday, the European Commission stated that Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms and TikTok breached the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU’s content moderation law which was previously criticized by the Trump administration. This is the first time the commission has accused Meta of breaching the DSA, a claim that the US giant has rejected. Although TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, is included in this announcement, it risks angering Trump, who has threatened to impose fresh tariffs on countries with regulations that “harm” American technology. Despite these threats, the EU has confirmed it will enforce its rules.
Brussels indicated in its preliminary view that Meta and TikTok were failing to grant researchers “adequate access to public data.” EU regulators maintain that these rules are not solely about transparency; they are also about ensuring that researchers can conduct essential work, such as understanding the exposure of children to dangerous content on popular platforms. TikTok stated it is “committed to transparency.” A TikTok spokesperson mentioned, “We are reviewing the European Commission’s findings, but requirements to ease data safeguards place the DSA and GDPR in direct tension.” They further urged regulators to clarify how these obligations can be reconciled if complete compliance is not feasible.
The EU also noted that Meta’s platforms, Facebook and Instagram, were not providing user-friendly mechanisms for users to flag illegal content or effective systems for challenging content-moderation decisions. Regulators accused Facebook and Instagram of engaging in deceptive practices—often referred to as “dark patterns”—concerning the “Notice and Action” mechanisms. The commission remarked that “such practices can be confusing and dissuading.” The DSA stipulates that platforms must explain content moderation decisions, which Facebook and Instagram have reportedly failed to do.
In response, Meta stated, “We disagree with any suggestion that we have breached the DSA” and continued discussions with the EU. The company highlighted that it has introduced changes to its content reporting options, appeals processes, and data access tools since the DSA came into force, asserting that these solutions align with legal requirements.
Meta and TikTok will now have access to the EU’s files and can offer commitments to address Brussels’ concerns. If the EU is not satisfied with the companies’ proposals, it can impose fines per breach per platform. EU digital spokesman Thomas Regnier defended the DSA against accusations, particularly from the United States, labeling it a tool of censorship. “When accused of censorship, we prove that the DSA is doing the opposite. It protects free speech, allowing citizens in the EU to fight back against unilateral content moderation decisions taken by Big Tech,” he clarified.
Both Meta and TikTok are currently under investigation in several EU probes, including one that examines concerns about the addictive nature of their platforms for children.
© 2024 AFP
