Emmanuel OchayiIn the wake of ongoing Hamas-Israeli hostilities, the European Union has issued a warning to TikTok regarding the spread of disinformation on its platform.
In a letter to TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, the EU urged the company to step up its efforts in combatting misinformation and demanded that they outline their compliance with European law within the next 24 hours.
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The EU observed a surge in misinformation related to the conflict on various social media platforms, including doctored images and mislabeled videos. Notably, this is not the first warning issued by the EU, as they had previously warned Twitter (formerly X) and Meta about similar content.
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Thierry Breton, EU commissioner, stressed TikTok’s particular responsibility in protecting children and teenagers from violent content, terrorist propaganda, and dangerous challenges. He emphasized the importance of TikTok being mindful of its popularity among young people.
TikTok, as well as Twitter (X) and Meta, are under pressure to address disinformation promptly. Linda Yaccarino, X’s chief executive, responded to the warning by stating that they had already removed or flagged tens of thousands of pieces of content related to the conflict and had taken down hundreds of accounts.
The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into effect in August 2023, requires “very large online platforms” to proactively remove illegal content and demonstrate their measures to do so when requested.
The EU has the authority to conduct interviews and inspections and, if unsatisfied, can proceed to a formal investigation, potentially leading to heavy fines or, as a last resort, temporary bans from the EU for non-compliant platforms. The EU’s stance underscores the importance of addressing disinformation on social media platforms amid ongoing global conflicts.
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