EU takes action against misinformation on Meta and TikTok after Hamas attacks

The European Commission has announced an investigation into the dissemination of "false information" and "illegal content" on social networks like Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and TikTok.

This inquiry follows the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel. The Commission has formally requested information from these platforms under the new European Digital Services Act (DSA).

They are specifically looking for details on the measures Meta and TikTok have taken to comply with their obligations related to assessing and reducing the risk of spreading illegal content and misinformation in the context of the Hamas attacks on Israel.

TikTok, in particular, is being asked to provide more information on the steps it has taken to reduce the risk of sharing illegal content, especially related to terrorist and violent content, hate speech, and disinformation.

Additionally, the Commission is inquiring about TikTok's compliance with protecting minors online.

Meta and TikTok are required to respond to the Commission by October 25, 2023. The Commission will assess the next steps based on their responses. Under the new Digital Services Act (DSA), the Commission has the authority to impose fines for inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information in response to their requests.

It's worth noting that a few days ago, the Commission sent a similar request to the 'X' platform, formerly known as Twitter.

"Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, speaking from the European Parliament, stated, 'We will not let terror and misinformation divide us or undermine our democracy,'" in response to this investigation.