May 01, 2024 12:30:00

The EC launches formal proceedings against Meta for allegedly violating the Digital Services Act by failing to prevent the spread of fraudulent advertising and false information

The European Commission (EC) has issued a notice of action against Meta, alleging that the app is in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA), a European Union (EU) measure to protect online users, by failing to adequately address deceptive advertising and political content.

Commission opens formal proceedings under DSA

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_24_2373

The DSA is a law that applies to social media and other platforms providing services in EU member states, and requires large-scale platforms in particular to take appropriate measures to deal with illegal content, ensure transparency in advertising, and establish mechanisms to protect public safety.

The EC has raised concerns that Meta's mechanisms for flagging deceptive advertising, political content, and illegal content, as well as its mechanisms for receiving user complaints, may not comply with the requirements of the DSA, and has announced that it will require Meta to take action from April 30, 2024.

In particular, with regard to addressing the proliferation of deceptive advertising, disinformation campaigns and fraudulent activities, the EC noted that 'the proliferation of such content may pose risks not only in terms of consumer protection, but also to the protection of speech, the protection of the electoral process and the protection of fundamental civil rights.' With regard to political content, the EC pointed out that Meta's efforts to reduce the visibility of political content on Instagram and Facebook may not comply with the requirements of the DSA.

Furthermore, with the upcoming European Parliament elections and other national elections looming, the EU is concerned that third-party real-time monitoring tools for speech and election information are not available on Meta's platform, which could lead to the spread of false information. In response to Meta's announcement that it would

discontinue use of CrowdTangle, a tool that analyzes and detects content in real time to prevent the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories, the EC stated, 'Access to such tools should be expanded during elections, but by announcing its decision to discontinue such tools, Meta appears to be failing to seriously assess the impact on speech and elections and to appropriately mitigate them.'

In addition, the EC pointed out that Meta may not be complying with the DSA's requirement that 'users must be able to easily report illegal content,' and that Meta may not have fully implemented an effective mechanism for submitting complaints about content. The EC stated that it 'expects you to take these measures promptly and asks you to report back on what remedial measures you have taken.'

If Meta's measures are insufficient, it could violate several provisions of the DSA, and the EC has warned that it 'reserves the right to take action.'

A Meta spokesman

said the EC's proceedings are aimed at Russia's disinformation campaign.