European Union accuses Meta, TikTok of breaking digital content rules
&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "European Union accuses Meta, TikTok of breaking digital content rules")
This illustration photograph shows the logo of Meta displayed on a smartphone in front of an European Union flag in Brussels. Photograph: (AFP file)
EU vs Meta: The European Union's rules require tech companies to stop the spread of illegal content and ensure that the digital markets follow free competition rules.
The European Union has accused social media companies Meta and TikTok of violating the bloc's digital content rules. The European Commission said on Friday that Meta's Facebook and Instagram platforms and TikTok breached the Digital Services Act (DSA). This is the first time the panel hasaccused the Mark Zuckerberg-led company of breaching the law.
The European Union's rules require tech companies to stop the spread of illegal content and ensure that the digital markets follow free competition rules.
The announcement also includes Chinese-owned ByteDance.
The move can anger US President Donald Trump, who often threatens countries with fresh tariffs if they harm American technology.
The European Union said in its preliminary view that Meta and TikTok were failing to grant researchers "adequate access to public data".
It said that the rules require the platforms to allow researchersto carry out essential work, such as understanding how much children are exposed to dangerous content on popular platforms, AFP reported.
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In a statement, TikTok said it is reviewing the European Commission's findings. It said that the requirements to ease data safeguards place the DSA and GDPR in direct tension.
It said it isn't possible to comply with both. It said the EU must give clarity on how these obligations can be reconciled with each other.
What the EU said on the alleged violation of rules
The European Union has said that Meta's platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, were not providing user-friendly mechanisms to flag illegal content.
It also accused the platforms of employing dark patterns.
"Such practices can be confusing and dissuading," the commission said.
Meta said it hadn't breached the DSA.
"In the European Union, we have introduced changes to our content reporting options, appeals process, and data access tools since the DSA came into force, and we are confident that these solutions match what is required under the law," it added.