The European Union (EU) has demanded Meta and TikTok detail their efforts to prevent, minimize, and take down illegal content and disinformation as the Israel-Hamas War continues to be underway.
The bloc announced the demands on Thursday (October 19) has invoked the power of a new law that threatens billions of Euros in fines if tech giants fail to sufficiently protect their users.
According to the Associated Press, the European Commission formally requested that the two companies provide information on how they were complying with its pioneering digital rules aimed at cleaning up online platforms.
In particular, the commission asked the companies to explain the measures they have taken to reduce the risk of spreading and amplifying terrorist and violent content, hate speech, and disinformation.
First Test of Digital Services Act
The move was reported as a prelude to a possible crackdown under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which took effect in August. Blogger platforms face extra obligations to stop a wide range of illegal content from flourishing or face fines of up to 6% of annual global revenue This made the EU a global leader in controlling Big Tech.
The Israel-Hamas War was poised to become the DSA's first challenge as photos and videos of the carnage of Hamas's sabbath raid almost two weeks ago flooded social media alongside posts from users pushing what was later revealed as false claims and misrepresenting videos from other events.
The DSA was first invoked last week when Brussels issued its first formal request to Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
European Commission digital czar Thierry Breton has previously sent warning letters to X, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, highlighting the risks that the war poses.
"In our exchanges with the platforms, we have specifically asked them to prepare for the risk of live broadcasts of executions by Hamas - an imminent risk from which we must protect our citizens - and we are seeking assurances that the platforms are well prepared for such possibilities," Breton said in a speech on Wednesday (October 18).
TechCrunch also reported about the criticism of the DSA becoming a "censorship law," especially regarding the information coming out of Israel and Palestine.
Meta Takes Action, TikTok Tight-Lipped
For its part, Meta has launched a crackdown on Hamas-related disinformation to create a safer online space for its platforms, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, saying it had a "well-established process for identifying and mitigating risks during a crisis while also protecting expression."
"[W]e quickly established a special operations center staffed with experts, including fluent Hebrew and Arabic speakers, to closely monitor and respond to this rapidly evolving situation," the company added.
Meanwhile, TikTok has not responded to reporters' requests for comment.
The companies have until next week to respond to the commission's questions related to their crisis response. Both companies also face a November 8 deadline for responses on protecting election integrity and, in TikTok's case, child safety after it received a $368 million fine for GDPR violations.
From there, Brussels officials would decide whether to open formal proceedings against either Meta or TikTok and impose fines for "incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information."
