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EU Accuses Meta and TikTok of Breaching Landmark Tech Law
The European Commission preliminarily finds Meta and TikTok in breach of the Digital Services Act for illegally restricting researcher access to public data.
Key Points
- The European Commission preliminarily finds Meta and TikTok in breach of the Digital Services Act for illegally restricting researcher access to public data.
- Meta faces additional allegations of using deceptive "dark patterns" and failing to provide users an easy way to flag illegal content or appeal decisions.
- If the findings are upheld, the companies could face fines of up to 6% of their global annual turnover.
The European Commission has preliminarily found that Meta and TikTok are in breach of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), alleging the companies are illegally restricting researcher access to public data, as reported by CNBC. The DSA mandates this transparency so the public can better understand the platforms' real-world effects.
Walling off researchers: Brussels claims the procedures offered by Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are so burdensome they effectively block independent research. These roadblocks make it harder to study the platforms' real-world harms, such as their effect on minors, by creating skewed or incomplete findings.
A broken user experience: Meta was singled out for additional violations, with the Commission asserting that both Instagram and Facebook lack a simple way for users to flag illegal content. The EU alleges the platforms use deceptive "dark patterns" in their reporting tools, and that the appeals process for moderation is a dead end, offering users no way to submit evidence to challenge a ruling.
The bottom line: Both companies now have the opportunity to respond to the allegations. If the preliminary rulings are upheld, Meta and TikTok could face penalties, including fines of up to 6% of their global annual turnover.
