EU launches investigation into disinformation against Meta, TikTok

The European Union on Thursday announced an investigation into Facebook owner Meta and TikTok, seeking more information on measures taken to prevent the spread of “illegal content and misinformation” following the Hamas attack on Israel.

The European Commission said it had sent formal requests for information to Meta and TikTok respectively as part of the first procedure launched under new EU law on digital content.

The European Union last week launched a similar investigation into billionaire mogul Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

The commission said the request to Meta related to the “dissemination and amplification of illegal content and disinformation” around the Hamas-Israel conflict.

In a separate statement, he said he wanted to know more about TikTok’s efforts against “the spread of terrorist and violent content and hate speech.”

The EU’s executive branch said it wanted more information from Meta on “mitigation measures to protect the integrity of elections.”

Meta and TikTok have until October 25 to respond, with a November 8 deadline for less urgent aspects of the demand for information.

The commission said it has also sought more information on how TikTok is complying with rules protecting minors online.

The EU has built a powerful arsenal to challenge the power of big tech with its landmark Digital Services Act (DSA) and a companion law, the Digital Markets Act, which imposes tough new restrictions on internet giants on how they do business.