Khaberni - The European Commission said on Friday that U.S. technology giant Meta and the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok violated their commitment to grant researchers adequate access to public data under the Digital Services Act.
The European Union has taken tough action against large technology companies through the Digital Services Act, which requires large platforms such as social networking sites and search engines to implement strong measures to limit the spread of illegal and harmful content.
A spokesperson for Meta said the company rejects the accusations of violating the Digital Services Act. TikTok emphasized its commitment to transparency.
The European Commission stated in a declaration "Allowing researchers access to platform data is a fundamental commitment to transparency under the Digital Services Act, as it allows public monitoring of the potential impact of these platforms on our physical and mental health".
The Commission added that Meta's platforms Facebook and Instagram apparently did not provide a clear and user-friendly mechanism for users to report illegal content, such as material related to child sexual abuse and terrorism-related content.
The European Commission stated in a statement regarding the transparency issue "The initial findings of the Commission indicate that Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok may have implemented complicated procedures and tools that hinder researchers from requesting access to public data".
It added that Meta currently has mechanisms that impose several unnecessary steps and additional requirements on users and uses "misleading interface designs".
It added "These practices may be confusing and discouraging. Therefore, Meta's mechanisms for reporting and removing illegal content may be ineffective".
The Commission noted that the companies now have the opportunity to study the findings of the investigation and take necessary action to address the breaches, adding that the initial findings do not preempt the final outcome of the investigation.
A spokesperson for Meta said the company will continue dialogue with the Commission.
The spokesperson added "We have made adjustments to the reporting options for content, appeal procedures and data access tools since the Digital Services Act came into force, and we are confident that these steps comply with European Union regulations".
A spokesperson for TikTok confirmed that the app is reviewing the findings.
They added "However, the requirements that dilute data protection safeguards put the Digital Services Act and the General Data Protection Regulation in direct conflict".
They continued "If full compliance with both is not possible, we urge regulatory authorities to clarify how to reconcile these commitments".
And if the Commission's findings are confirmed through relevant consultations, it might impose a fine on both companies up to six percent of their annual global sales.
