European Commission opens investigation into Facebook and Instagram

(Patria) - The European Commission has opened an investigation to assess whether Meta, the company that owns social networks Facebook and Instagram, is violating the Digital Services Act.

Brussels, among other things, believes that Meta is not fulfilling its obligations related to the spread of misleading advertisements, and the effectiveness of the mechanism the company has established to allow users to report illegal content that could undermine electoral processes and fundamental rights of citizens is also questionable.

The penalty could amount to up to six percent of Meta's global turnover, and in case of repeated serious violations of the law, a ban on operations in EU countries is also possible.

- This Commission has created the means to protect European citizens from targeted disinformation and manipulation by third countries, and if we suspect a violation of the rules, we act - said EC President Ursula von der Leyen.

She added that the fight against disinformation is particularly important during election campaigns.

The Commission will focus its investigation on suspicions that Meta is not fulfilling its obligations under the Digital Services Act related to the spread of misleading advertisements, disinformation campaigns, and coordinated inauthentic behavior in the EU.

It will also examine suspicions that Meta is reducing the visibility of political content in the recommendation systems of Instagram and Facebook, contrary to the transparency obligations of the Digital Markets Act.

The Commission also suspects that the mechanism Meta has established to allow users to report illegal content is not compliant with regulations.

It will also review Meta's plan to remove a tool considered essential for identifying and analyzing disinformation on Facebook and Instagram, without an adequate replacement solution.

The EU has adopted the Digital Services Act, which applies to the largest social networks, online marketplaces, and search engines, and contains provisions on combating disinformation, online hate speech, child pornography, and counterfeit goods.

- We expect a response to our request for information within five working days. In addition, we will continue the formal investigation into whether Meta is complying with the Digital Services Act.

It is too early to assess the outcome at this time - said European Commission spokesperson Johannes Bahrke.