Investigation Launched Against Meta: Combatting Disinformation and Political Content in the EU
A new investigation has been launched by the European Commission against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, based in Brussels. This investigation is focused on alleged violations of policies related to misleading advertising and political content in the services provided by Meta. The EU Executive has stated that these investigations fall under the digital services regulation, which imposes additional control obligations on large Internet operators and platforms regarding the content they host.
The EU authorities have been urging large digital platforms to increase their efforts in combatting disinformation and Russian propaganda ahead of the European elections for several months. The Commission emphasized the importance of technology companies taking their responsibilities seriously, especially in light of the digital services regulation that imposes stricter demands on larger digital companies compared to smaller actors.
The investigation launched by Brussels is multifaceted, including suspicions that Meta is not complying with obligations related to combating misleading advertisements, disinformation campaigns, and coordinated inauthentic behavior in the EU. This proliferation of content poses risks to civic discourse, electoral processes, fundamental rights, and consumer protection. Additionally, Meta’s actions regarding political content approaches on Facebook and Instagram are being scrutinized for potential violations of European standards.
One specific concern highlighted by the Commission is Meta’s decision to eliminate a tool that allows third parties to monitor elections in real time without providing a substitute tool. With the European elections approaching, the lack of access to such tools during election times is seen as detrimental to civic discourse, electoral processes, and transparency. Provisional control measures may be imposed on the company under investigation if it poses serious harm to users before reaching a definitive conclusion is reached. If proven wrongdoing occurs infringement could result in fines up to 6% of its global turnover.
Meta should take this investigation seriously and take immediate action towards complying with all policies related to misleading advertising and political content as per Digital Services Regulation imposed on them as well as ensure accessibility of real-time monitoring tools during election times for transparency purposes.
As we move forward it will be crucial for all tech giants like Meta to understand their responsibilities towards society rather than just profit margins; this includes taking steps towards combating disinformation campaigns effectively and preventing coordinated inauthentic behavior while respecting user privacy rights.
