EC finds Meta and TikTok breached transparency rules under DSA | TechCrunch

"The Commission called Meta and TikTok's procedures and tools for requesting access to public data "burdensome," saying that researchers are consequently often left with partial or unreliable data, which affects "their ability to conduct research, such as whether users, including minors, are exposed to illegal or harmful content." The Commission also said Meta's platforms - Instagram and Facebook - were both in breach of obligations to provide EU residents with simple ways to report illegal content."

""Such practices can be confusing and dissuading. Meta's mechanisms to flag and remove illegal content may therefore be ineffective," the Commission wrote in a statement. The EC also said both Meta platforms' moderation appeal mechanisms don't allow EU residents to fully explain or provide evidence to support their appeals. "This makes it difficult for users in the EU to further explain why they disagree with Meta's content decision, limiting the effectiveness of the appeals mechanism," the Commission wrote."

The European Commission found TikTok and Meta preliminarily in breach of the Digital Services Act for failing to provide adequate access to public data for researchers. The Commission described the procedures and tools for requesting data as "burdensome," leaving researchers with partial or unreliable data and hindering assessments of exposure to illegal or harmful content, including among minors. The Commission found Instagram and Facebook breached obligations to offer simple reporting methods, imposing unnecessary steps and employing so-called "dark patterns" that can confuse and dissuade users. The Commission also found Meta's appeal mechanisms prevent EU residents from fully explaining or evidencing disputes, limiting effectiveness. Investigations into both companies began early 2024 with focuses including advertising transparency, data access, content moderation, and protection of minors.

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