TikTok and Meta Under Investigation for DSA Violations

TikTok and Meta (Instagram and Facebook) are facing scrutiny from the European Commission for allegedly violating the Digital Services Act (DSA). it appears they’ve fallen short on rules regarding data access for researchers, reporting harmful content, and allowing users to appeal content removal decisions. These are preliminary findings, and the Commission has formally notified both companies – one Chinese, one american – of its concerns.

The Commission launched a DSA investigation into TikTok in February 2024, and into Meta in April 2024. It’s certainly worth noting that X (formerly Twitter) is already under investigation, with the Commission finding it in violation of three aspects of the DSA in July 2024. Just last October 10th, the Commission also sent letters to Snapchat, YouTube, Apple Store, and Google Play to assess their measures for protecting minors.

A key issue raised in the notification centers on the requirement to provide researchers with access to public data. The Commission states that “Facebook,Instagram,and TikTok may have implemented burdensome procedures and tools for researchers seeking access to public data.” This, according to Brussels, “frequently enough leaves them with partial or unreliable data, negatively impacting their ability to conduct research, for example, on whether users, including minors, are exposed to harmful content.”