The European Union has intensified its oversight of major tech companies by calling on Meta and TikTok to disclose their efforts in combating illegal content and disinformation amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict. The European Commission, the executive branch of the 27-nation EU, has officially requested that these social media platforms provide details on their compliance with the new digital regulations designed to clean up online platforms.
Meta and TikTok have been asked to clarify the measures they’ve implemented to reduce the dissemination of terrorist and violent content, hate speech, and disinformation. The EU’s Digital Services Act, which became effective in August, imposes additional responsibilities on major tech companies to prevent various forms of illegal content from proliferating on their platforms, with the possibility of substantial fines for non-compliance.
These new rules, referred to as the Digital Services Act, are being tested during the Israel-Hamas conflict, where social media has been inundated with images and videos of the conflict alongside false claims and misrepresented content from unrelated events.
Last week, the European Commission issued its initial formal request under the Digital Services Act to Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). European Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for digital matters in the EU, had previously sent warning letters to these three platforms, as well as YouTube, highlighting the risks associated with the ongoing conflict.
Breton emphasized the need for the platforms to be prepared for the risk of live broadcasts of executions by Hamas, an imminent threat that must be addressed for the safety of citizens.
Both Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) and TikTok have yet to respond to email requests for comment. They are required to provide responses to questions related to their crisis response by Wednesday and face a second deadline of November 8 for questions related to election integrity and, in the case of TikTok, child safety.
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Depending on their responses, the European Commission may initiate formal proceedings against Meta or TikTok and impose fines for providing incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information.