The European Union has launched an investigation into Facebook and Instagram for suspected breaches of the bloc’s digital regulations, specifically related to protecting users from foreign disinformation ahead of EU-wide elections. This investigation is part of the EU’s efforts to crack down on tech companies under the Digital Services Act, with potential fines worth up to 6% of annual revenue. Other social media platforms such as TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and AliExpress are also under investigation by Brussels for various violations. TikTok recently halted a reward feature on its app in response to pressure from the EU.
The European Commission is focusing on Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for not doing enough to protect the integrity of elections. With the upcoming European Parliament elections in June, there are concerns that generative AI systems could be used to disrupt voting processes. The Commission is particularly interested in Meta’s efforts to curb deceptive advertisements, disinformation campaigns, and coordinated inauthentic behavior that could pose a risk to electoral processes. There are suspicions that Meta’s content moderation system for advertisements, including generative AI content like deepfakes, is inadequate and could be exploited by malicious foreign actors.
One of the key concerns outlined by EU officials is Meta’s decision to discontinue Crowdtangle, a tool used by researchers, journalists, and civil society groups for real-time monitoring of social media posts during elections. This move could hinder efforts to identify and address disinformation and election interference. The EU is also looking into whether Facebook and Instagram are engaging in shadowbanning political content accounts and not being transparent with users about this practice. Additionally, the Commission is investigating the accessibility and user-friendliness of Meta’s mechanism for users to flag illegal content, as they suspect it may not be sufficient under the Digital Services Act standards.
Meta Platforms has stated that they have a process in place for identifying and mitigating risks on their platforms and look forward to cooperating with the European Commission in providing further details of their work. European Commissioner Thierry Breton emphasized the importance of investigating Meta for suspected breaches of DSA obligations related to protecting the integrity of elections. The EU is taking these measures to safeguard the democratic process and ensure that social media platforms abide by regulations designed to protect users and prevent election interference. Meta Platforms has five days to respond to the Commission with information on how they plan to address the concerns raised in the investigation.
