LONDON. The European Union has escalated its scrutiny of Big Tech companies, demanding that Meta and TikTok provide comprehensive details about their efforts to combat illegal content and disinformation during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The European Commission, the executive branch of the 27-nation European Union, has formally requested that these social media giants furnish information regarding their compliance with the sweeping new digital regulations designed to clean up online platforms.
Specifically, the European Commission has asked Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and TikTok to elucidate the measures they have taken to mitigate the risk of disseminating and amplifying terrorist and violent content, hate speech, and disinformation.
As of August, the European Union’s new rules, known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), have come into force. These rules impose additional obligations on major tech companies to prevent various forms of illegal content from proliferating on their platforms, under the threat of substantial fines for non-compliance.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has become a litmus test for the effectiveness of these new regulations. Social media platforms have been inundated with photos and videos depicting the devastation, alongside posts from users disseminating false claims and misrepresenting content from unrelated events.
Last week, Brussels issued its first formal request under the DSA to Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
European Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for digital regulation within the EU, had previously sent warning letters to the three major platforms, including YouTube, highlighting the risks posed by the ongoing conflict.
“In our discussions with these platforms, we have expressly urged them to be prepared for the possibility of live broadcasts of executions by Hamas, which is an imminent risk that we must protect our citizens from. We are seeking assurances that these platforms are well-prepared for such scenarios,” Commissioner Breton stated in a speech on Wednesday.
Meta and TikTok have not responded immediately to email requests for comments. They have until Wednesday to provide responses related to their crisis response. Furthermore, they face a second deadline of November 8 to respond to questions concerning the protection of election integrity and, in TikTok’s case, child safety.
Depending on the adequacy of their responses, Brussels could decide to initiate formal proceedings against Meta or TikTok and impose fines for providing “incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information,” the commission emphasized.
Carlo Juancho FuntanillaFrontend Developer, WordPress, Shopify
Contributing Editor
AMA ACLC San Pablo
