EU Finds Meta and TikTok in Breach of Digital Services Act
The European Commission has preliminarily found Meta and TikTok in breach of their transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), citing inadequate data access for researchers and problematic content reporting systems.
Key Findings
- Meta and TikTok failed to provide adequate researcher access to public data
- Facebook and Instagram lack user-friendly illegal content reporting mechanisms
- Companies face potential fines up to 6% of global annual turnover
Transparency Violations
The Commission identified “burdensome procedures and tools” for researchers seeking access to platform data. “Allowing researchers access to platforms’ data is an essential transparency obligation under the DSA,” stated the EU executive, emphasizing its importance for public scrutiny of platform impacts on physical and mental health.
Content Reporting Issues
Meta’s Facebook and Instagram were criticized for implementing mechanisms that impose “several unnecessary steps and additional demands on users” while using “deceptive interface designs.” The Commission noted these practices can be “confusing and dissuading,” potentially rendering Meta’s content flagging systems ineffective.
Under the DSA, ‘Notice and Action’ mechanisms are crucial for allowing EU users to report content that violates EU or national laws.
Next Steps and Potential Penalties
The companies now have opportunity to examine the findings and implement corrective measures. The preliminary findings don’t prejudge the investigation’s final outcome. However, if confirmed through consultations, the Commission could impose fines reaching 6% of the companies’ annual global sales.
The EU continues its crackdown on Big Tech through the Digital Services Act, which mandates robust measures from large platforms to combat illegal and harmful content spread.
