The European Commission has initiated an investigation into social media behemoth Meta for spreading disinformation.
On Tuesday, the EU disclosed its probe into the company behind Facebook and Instagram, citing potential violations of the bloc’s online content regulations. Brussels is intensifying its crackdown on disinformation in preparation for the upcoming EU elections in June.
According to the commission, Meta’s content moderation efforts are deemed inadequate, particularly in addressing misleading advertising and disinformation.
The implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) last year mandates major tech companies to take more decisive actions against illicit and harmful content on their social media platforms.
EU’s digital chief, Margrethe Vestager, expressed doubts about Meta’s moderation practices, transparency in advertising, and content moderation procedures. Consequently, the commission has launched an investigation to evaluate Meta’s compliance with the Digital Services Act.
Amid escalating concerns about Russia, China, and Iran as potential sources of disinformation, the EU is on high alert ahead of the upcoming elections.
Recently, a suspected Russian-backed network aiming to influence the June vote was uncovered. Allegedly, politicians across the EU were paid to echo Moscow’s narratives, particularly regarding the Ukraine conflict.
Furthermore, anti-establishment parties are under scrutiny for disseminating their own disinformation campaigns to gain traction in the upcoming EU parliament term.
In response to the EU’s actions, Meta defended its risk management protocols, emphasizing their commitment to identifying and mitigating risks on their platforms. They expressed readiness to collaborate with the European Commission and provide additional details on their efforts.
However, the EU raised concerns about Meta’s discontinuation of its disinformation tracking tool, CrowdTangle…
Post from www.aljazeera.com