European Commission finds that Meta and TikTok violate EU online platform rules

2025-10-24 17:34:00, Tech CNA

Meta does not make it easy enough for users to file complaints about illegal online content on its Instagram and Facebook platforms, the European Commission said on Friday, as it nears the end of its investigation into the tech giant under EU online platform rules.

Users may want to report illegal content they see online, but currently do not find help or receive responses to their reports, according to the Commission's preliminary findings.

The findings come as the Commission launched investigations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) - rules aimed at combating the spread of illegal content and products online - into the platforms last year.

The findings are a first step in the investigation, and the platforms now have time to respond in writing. There is no legal deadline for this, so the process could take some time.

After counter-arguments from the platforms, the Commission may ultimately settle the case or impose fines of up to 6% of worldwide annual turnover.

The systemic risks posed to society were examined

TikTok and Meta are in violation of the DSA for failing to provide researchers with sufficient access to public data, the Commission said.

When it comes to researcher data, the DSA specifies that very large online platforms, those with more than 45 million monthly users, must give accredited researchers access to public data to monitor content hosted on their services.

The aim is to enable a deeper understanding of the systemic risks posed to society through the online world, as well as to support effective oversight of DSA compliance.

The broader investigation into Meta's compliance with the rules, which began in April 2024, also focuses on deceptive advertising and political content.

The investigation into TikTok, which began in February last year, is also related to the protection of minors and advertising transparency.

The rest of the proceedings continue. The Commission investigates the various elements of the investigations in certain steps.

In total, the Commission has launched around 14 procedures for possible DSA violations and has already published preliminary findings in cases related to X, TikTok, AliExpress and Temu. None of the investigations have been concluded yet./ CNA