The European Union has accused Meta and TikTok of breaking the law by making it too hard for researchers to access their public data and for users to report illegal content. The European Commission released its preliminary findings on Friday, a major step in its ongoing investigation into the two social media giants.
Under the EU’s strict new Digital Services Act, large platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are required to have robust systems in place to curb the spread of illegal and harmful content. They are also legally obligated to give researchers access to their public data so that the platforms’ impact on society can be independently studied.
But the Commission says both companies are failing on these fronts. It found that their procedures for researchers to get data are “burdensome,” and that their tools for flagging illegal content, like child sexual abuse material, are confusing and ineffective. The Commission even accused Meta of using “deceptive interface designs” that discourage users from reporting problems.
Both companies pushed back against the findings. A Meta spokesperson said the company disagrees with the EU’s conclusions. In contrast, a TikTok spokesperson said it is committed to transparency but that the EU’s rules are in “direct tension” with its other privacy regulations.
If the Commission’s findings are confirmed, it could impose massive fines of up to 6% of each company’s annual global sales. For now, the companies will have a chance to respond and make changes, but the message from Brussels is clear: they need to do a lot more to clean up their platforms.
