Meta Runs Afoul of EU's Digital Services Act

"The European Comission has found that Instagram and Facebook are violating the EU's Digital Services Act, which requires social media platforms to provide users with easy ways to complain or flag illegal content. The commission said that the apps' reporting processes are "confusing and dissuading" to users. Meta, Instagram and Facebook's parent company, now has time to comply with the commission's demands or else it will face a fine of up to 6 percent of annual global sales."

"The Digital Services Act, which was passed with much fanfare in 2022 and came into effect in February 2024, was designed to make online experiences safer and more transparent for users, and its rules are stricter for larger platforms. However, as John Boyce wrote in WPR last month, the law faces stiff opposition from the Trump administration, which has "repeatedly dismissed the EU's online regulatory framework as a crude form of censorship." As Boyce pointed out, the Trump administration is reportedly considering sanctions against EU officials responsible for implementing the Digital Services Act."

The European Commission found that Instagram and Facebook are violating the EU Digital Services Act by failing to provide clear, accessible ways for users to complain or flag illegal content. The commission characterized the apps' reporting processes as confusing and dissuading to users. Meta, as the parent company, has a deadline to comply with the commission's demands or face fines up to 6 percent of annual global sales. The Digital Services Act was passed in 2022 and took effect in February 2024, imposing stricter rules on larger platforms to improve safety and transparency. The law faces opposition from the Trump administration, which has criticized it as censorship and reportedly may consider sanctions against EU officials implementing the law.

Read at World Politics Review