In response to allegations of misleading advertising and political content on its platforms, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is now under investigation by the European Commission. This probe falls under the digital services regulation, which imposes additional control obligations on large internet operators and platforms regarding the content they host. The EU Executive has been calling on digital platforms to increase their efforts in combatting disinformation and Russian propaganda ahead of the European elections for several months.
The investigation launched by Brussels is multi-faceted and includes suspicions that Meta is not complying with obligations related to disinformation campaigns, coordinated inauthentic behavior, and misleading advertisements. The proliferation of such content poses a significant risk to civic discourse, electoral processes, fundamental rights, and consumer protection. Additionally, Meta’s actions regarding political content approaches on Facebook and Instagram are being scrutinized for potential violations of European standards.
One specific concern raised by the Commission is Meta’s decision to eliminate a tool that allows third parties to monitor elections in real time without providing a substitute tool. With the European elections approaching, this lack of access to such tools during election times is seen as detrimental to civic discourse, electoral processes, and transparency. The investigation may continue for an indefinite period until a definitive conclusion is reached or provisional control measures are imposed on the company under investigation to prevent harm to users. If proven infringement occurs, Meta could face fines up to 6% of its global turnover.