EU Investigates Meta for Insufficient Election Protection and Disinformation Control

European Union authorities are investigating Meta over concerns that it has not taken sufficient measures to safeguard upcoming EU elections or combat foreign disinformation on its platforms, which could result in severe fines or other penalties. The investigation is focused on Meta’s handling of advertisements by scammers and election meddlers from abroad as well as the decision to shut down CrowdTangle, a widely used tool for monitoring Facebook and Instagram that was popular among researchers and journalists. This probe represents EU skepticism about whether or not Meta has effectively managed these risks following the enactment of new legislation intended to limit tech giants’ influence in Europe last year. The investigation also covers decisions by Meta to decrease political content visibility on user feeds, which may violate transparency rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Moreover, authorities allege that Metas reporting tool for illegitimate content fails to conform with DSA requirements as well. This inquiry follows a submission of required materials from Meta last fall outlining how it manages perceived risks linked to its products. The European Commission’s announcement reflects EU skepticism about whether or not Facebook has effectively managed these dangers following the passage of new legislation intended to restrict tech giants’ influence in Europe late last year.