EU to Investigate Meta Over Alleged Election Disinformation
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The European Union announced on Tuesday that it will investigate Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, over allegations of disinformation on the social media platforms.
The Details: The European Commission alleges that Meta hasn’t sufficiently assessed and mitigated risks related to its platforms' effects on civil discourse and electoral processes. The investigation will potentially focus on a pro-Russian network called Doppelganger that has allegedly been spreading content favorable to Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies on Meta platforms. Meta had previously identified this network in 2022 and blocked multiple assets connected to it. Meta now has five days to respond to the European Commission's claims and outline its plan for risk assessment.
Key Quote: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated, “Big digital platforms must live up to their obligations to put enough resources into this, and today’s decision shows that we are serious about compliance.”
For Context: Meta, along with other big technology companies, came under scrutiny after the 2016 presidential election when Russian-aligned groups were found to have attempted to use social media platforms to influence the outcome. This investigation comes amid growing global concerns about foreign interference in future elections.
How the Media Covered It: Forbes (Center bias) detailed the investigation and potential fines Meta might face, focusing on the European Commission's accusations regarding Meta's failure to mitigate disinformation risks. Al Jazeera (Lean Left bias) highlighted the EU's attempts to clamp down on disinformation ahead of the EU elections and emphasized Meta's perceived insufficient content moderation. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
EU launches disinformation probe against social media giant MetaThe European Commission has launched a disinformation probe against social media giant Meta.
The EU announced the investigation into the operator of Facebook and Instagram on Tuesday, saying suspects the US company of breaching the bloc’s online content rules. Brussels has raised its efforts to clamp down on disinformation ahead of EU elections in June.
The commission said Meta’s efforts at moderating content are “insufficient” and fail to tackle deceptive advertising and disinformation.
The Digital Services Act (DSA), which became effective last year, requires “Big Tech” to do more to...
From the Center
Meta Could Face EU Fines Over Alleged Election Disinformation On Facebook And InstagramThe European Union will investigate Meta’s handling of disinformation and deceptive advertising on Instagram and Facebook, the bloc announced Tuesday, a probe that could focus on a Russian-backed influence campaign and may lead to millions in fines—amid growing concerns in the United States and Europe about foreign interference in upcoming elections.
The European Commission said it suspects Meta has violated the Digital Services Act by failing to implement sufficient safeguards to address deceptive advertisements, disinformation campaigns and “coordinated inauthentic behavior” on its platforms.
Meta has likely failed to “diligently assess...
From the Right
EU Launches Investigation of Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Meddling in ElectionsEuropean regulators have launched an investigation into Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, escalating pressure on the tech giant to bolster its safeguards against misinformation and foreign interference on Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp ahead of pivotal EU elections.
The New York Times reports that the European Union’s executive branch, the European Commission, has Zuckerberg’s Meta in its crosshairs over concerns that the company’s Facebook and Instagram platforms lack sufficient protections against the spread of misleading ads, AI-generated deepfakes, and other deceptive content aimed at amplifying political divisions and swaying elections.
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