Meta (META.US), TikTok is accused of violating data access rules, and the EU may impose a fine of up to 6% of global revenue.

According to the preliminary investigation results from the European Union, Meta Platforms (META.US) and TikTok, owned by ByteDance, have both violated the EU regulations regarding the management of illegal content. The European Commission, the EU's executive body, stated that Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok under Meta have all violated the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) by failing to provide easy access to platform data for independent researchers. The European Commission stated in a Friday announcement, "The mechanism currently employed by Meta for data access seems to set unnecessary processes and additional requirements for users, therefore, its mechanism for flagging and removing illegal content may not be effective." The investigation results are based on the EU's rules on content moderation, and the two companies are currently under investigation. Previously, Meta also faced additional accusations under the Digital Services Act: first, the platform did not allow users to submit sufficient detailed appeal materials when their posts or accounts were removed, and second, there were deficiencies in the "notice and takedown mechanism" used to flag illegal posts. Currently, both companies have the opportunity to challenge the European Commission's accusations and make commitments on how to address the issues identified in the investigation. If the challenges are unsuccessful and they fail to make the required changes, they may face fines under the Digital Services Act, with fines reaching up to 6% of the company's global annual revenue. A spokesperson for Meta stated, "We do not agree with any allegations that we have violated the Digital Services Act and are currently in discussions with the European Commission on these issues." The spokesperson added that since the Digital Services Act came into effect, Meta has adjusted its content moderation and appeal processes, and optimized its data access mechanisms. A spokesperson for TikTok stated that the company is evaluating the investigation results and pointed out that the requirement to expand data access rights conflicts with EU privacy regulations. "If we cannot simultaneously fully comply with both requirements, we request regulatory authorities to clarify how to reconcile these obligations," the TikTok spokesperson said.