The European Commission has formally asked Meta and TikTok to provide information on how they deal with illegal content and disinformation related to Israel's war. The investigation is part of the European Union's new Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires large online platforms to be legally responsible for the content published on them.
Both platforms have until October 25 to respond to the commission’s request. The committee will then evaluate its responses and "evaluate next steps."
Under the terms of the DSA, the Commission can fine companies up to 6% of global turnover if they breach the rules. The Commission can also impose fines for "providing incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in response to information requests", and platforms may also face late fees if they do not respond in a timely manner.
Last week, the commission issued a similar request to the platform X, the predecessor to Twitter, over the "dissemination of terrorist and violent content and hate speech." In addition to content related to the Israel-Hamas war, the committee is also investigating how Meta and TikTok safeguarded the integrity of the election.
TikTok has also been asked to provide more information on how it protects minors on the platform. Meta and TikTok have until November 8 to respond to these additional inquiries.
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