In a riveting development, European regulator Thierry Breton has handed Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms, a 24-hour ultimatum, urging immediate action against the rampant disinformation spreading across his company’s platforms amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict and in the lead-up to various elections.
Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, highlighted a concerning surge in illegal content and misinformation on “certain platforms” following the Hamas attack on Israel. This is particularly significant given Meta’s ownership of major social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and Threads, which competes with X (formerly known as Twitter).
The European Union, under its newly enacted Digital Services Act, holds Meta accountable for monitoring and eradicating illegal content, such as terrorist content or illegal hate speech, and mandates the detailing of protocols for the same. The stakes are high, with non-compliance risking fines amounting to a staggering 6% of a company’s annual revenue.
Breton’s letter, brimming with urgency, invites Zuckerberg to “ensure that your systems are effective,” demanding a response within a mere 24 hours. The situation escalates as Meta has yet to respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
In a parallel development, Breton shared a similar letter addressed to Elon Musk, owner of X, which came with its own stern warning. The letter pointed to “indications” of groups disseminating misinformation and “violent and terrorist” content about the Israel-Hamas conflict on the platform, following documentation by numerous researchers and news organizations of a surge of misleading and false content on X, contributing to widespread confusion about the unfolding events.
Moreover, Breton expressed grave concerns over reports of manipulated content and deepfakes on Meta’s platforms, especially with the upcoming election in Slovakia on the horizon. He emphasized that misinformation about elections is taken “extremely seriously” under the DSA and requested Zuckerberg to share details of how Meta is addressing deepfakes, noting that elections are also imminent in Poland, Romania, Austria, Belgium, and other countries.
Breton poignantly wrote, “The DSA is here to protect free speech against arbitrary decisions, and at the same time protect our citizens and democracies,” signaling a robust stance against digital platforms that may inadvertently become hotbeds for misinformation and jeopardize the democratic process.
In a world where digital platforms can sway public opinion and become battlefields for information warfare, the unfolding drama between regulatory bodies and digital giants like Meta raises pivotal questions about accountability, compliance, and the safeguarding of truth in our increasingly connected global society.
