The EU is toughening its tone. Brussels announced on Thursday the opening of an investigation targeting the social networks Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and TikTok demanding details on the measures they are implementing against the dissemination of “false information” and “illegal content”, after Hamas attacks against Israel.
The European Commission explained in a press release that it had sent a formal request for information to these two platforms, a week after the launch of a similar procedure targeting X (formerly Twitter) as part of the new European legislation on digital services. (DSA).
Breton’s turn of the screw
The Brussels executive is continuing a tightening that began last week with letters of warning from Digital Commissioner Thierry Breton sent to the leaders of four major online services: X, Meta, TikTok and Youtube (Alphabet). The request for information sent to the first three – YouTube being spared for the moment – does not currently represent an indictment.
But it constitutes the first step in a procedure which can lead to heavy financial sanctions in the event of proven and prolonged infringements of the regulations. In extreme cases, fines can reach 6% of the group’s global turnover.
The Commission asked Meta and TikTok to precisely explain “the measures taken to comply with (their) obligations regarding risk assessment and reduction.” They have until October 25 to provide urgently requested responses in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict. This conflict, which has caused numerous civilian casualties, arouses immense emotion throughout the world, and is conducive to attempts to manipulate public opinion.
Humiliating videos of hostages, decapitated bodies, filmed assassinations… Social networks have been flooded with violent images but also with attempts at disinformation, a challenge for all platforms.
“Destabilization of our democratic structures”
“The widespread dissemination of illicit content and disinformation linked to these events carries a clear risk of stigmatization of certain communities, destabilization of our democratic structures, not to mention the exposure of our children to violent content,” warned Wednesday evening Thierry Breton, in a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
The terrorist attacks perpetrated in Arras, France, on October 13, and in Brussels on Monday, “sound like a dark reminder that the threat is real and present on our soil,” he stressed.
Stricter rules have been imposed on 19 very large internet players, including X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, since the end of August, particularly in terms of moderation and removal of content.
A special operations center
A Meta spokesperson said last week that the group had “quickly set up a special operations center staffed by experts, including people fluent in Hebrew and Arabic.” Network
“There is no place on work to take care of the situation.
The social network of billionaire Elon Musk is, however, particularly scrutinized by experts from the European Commission. Brussels was concerned at the end of September about the high rate of misinformation on X, pointing out its poor results during tests carried out on several platforms.
After buying Twitter last year, Elon Musk carried out a massive wave of layoffs that decimated content moderation teams. He regularly reaffirms his vision of freedom of expression, refusing any “censorship”, even if he assures that he respects the laws of each country.