غرامات محتملة بالمليارات.. «ميتا» و«تيك توك» تخالفان قوانين أوروبا

The European Commission announced today (Friday) preliminary results indicating that the American company "Meta" (owner of Facebook and Instagram) and the Chinese-owned application "TikTok" have violated their obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) by obstructing researchers' access to sufficient public data.

These obligations aim to enhance transparency and monitor the impact of platforms on users' physical and mental health, particularly in combating the spread of illegal or harmful content, such as child sexual abuse materials or terrorist content.

Facebook Violations

The Commission confirmed that Facebook and Instagram do not provide simple and easily accessible mechanisms for users to report illegal content, as "Meta" imposes unnecessary additional steps and misleading interface designs (such as "dark patterns") that may discourage users from reporting, rendering the "notice and action" mechanisms ineffective.

TikTok Violations

As for "TikTok," it was found to be in a similar breach regarding access to public data, as it imposed complex procedures that left researchers with partial or unreliable data, hindering studies on children's exposure to harmful content.

This investigation is part of a broader campaign by the European Commission to enforce the DSA on tech giants, which requires large platforms to take robust measures to limit illegal content.

Responses from Meta and TikTok

"Meta" responded by stating that it rejects any allegations of legal violations, and that it has made changes to reporting and appeal options and data access tools since the DSA came into effect, continuing to negotiate with the Commission.

As for "TikTok," it did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but it previously affirmed its commitment to transparency and its investments in data sharing with nearly 1,000 research teams.

Both companies now have the opportunity to review the results and take corrective actions, without the preliminary findings binding the outcome of the investigation. If violations are confirmed after consultations, the Commission may impose fines of up to 6% of the companies' annual global revenues, which represents huge amounts for "Meta" (which had revenues of $1.8 trillion) and "ByteDance" (owner of TikTok).

The Commission noted that these actions represent the fourth in a series of investigations into researchers' access to data, with new rules effective next week to expand access for accredited researchers.