Europe goes after Meta over lack of protection against misinformation
With the European elections approaching, the EU is very sensitive to false information and propaganda. Now, according to news website Politico, it is launching an investigation into Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram parent company Meta over possible violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The European Commission’s investigation is said to stem from a successful propaganda campaign by a Russian disinformation network. In the process, political ads were not labeled as such in order to have fewer restrictions imposed. The question now is whether Meta should have done more to detect and stop that lack of labeling on Facebook and Instagram.
Other sensitive issues also stand out among European policymakers, such as addressing harmful videos or disinformation surrounding the war in Gaza. The EU also believes minors should be better protected and there are still concerns surrounding X (previously Twitter) clone Threads.
According to Meta spokesman Ben Walters, the company “already has a well-established process for identifying and mitigating risks on our platforms”. He stressed that the company is already working with the European Commission.
Still, the legal route goes in two directions. Meta recently filed a lawsuit against the European Commission over a levy it must pay to enforce the DSA. Meta says it is already paying €11 million for that in 2024, while the Commission claims it needs four times that amount.
Meta is not the first company to face the stricter European rules. TikTok and X, among others, are also already under heavy scrutiny. Under the DSA, companies can face fines of up to 6% of their global revenues.
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