EU tells Meta, TikTok to boost monitoring, fact-checking
The EU's tech chief called on Meta and TikTok to "act decisively" to stem disinformation at times of crisis, saying the European Commission held talks with both platforms Friday following last week's Ceuta migrant surge.
The European Union's chief technology official urged social media giants Meta and TikTok to take immediate action to combat disinformation during crises, following a controversial migrant surge in Ceuta, Spain. Virkkunen emphasized that platforms must uphold digital integrity, especially during emergencies, and increase monitoring alongside cooperation with fact-checkers. The EU will follow up on Monday regarding the issue.
Spain swiftly returned most of the 72,000 migrants who entered the Ceuta enclave from Morocco on July 30-31, with only 2,000 individuals remaining. The incident resulted in 80 deaths, sparking a diplomatic rift between Spain and Italy. Spanish migration chief Magnus Brunner framed the Ceuta episode as a "test" of the EU's border security and its resilience against disinformation.
He suggested that both criminal smuggling networks and disinformation fueled the crisis, but emphasized that it was premature to pinpoint the perpetrators.
A Golden Owl investigation concluded with high confidence that the migrant rush was intentionally organized. Media outlets, including AFP, receive financial support from platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok to address disinformation.
Written by urgent.news from The Local Sweden's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 4 other outlets
- EU tells Meta, TikTok to boost monitoring, fact-checking thejakartapost.com
- EU tells Meta, TikTok to boost monitoring, fact-checking thelocal.fr
- EU tells Meta, TikTok to boost monitoring, fact-checking thelocal.es
- EU tells Meta, TikTok to boost monitoring, fact-checking thelocal.de
