Meta to face EU probe for not doing enough to stop Russian disinformation
Brussels is set to open a probe into Meta’s Facebook and Instagram as soon as Monday over concerns the social media giant is failing to do enough to counter disinformation from Russia and other countries.
Regulators suspect that Meta’s moderation does not go far enough to stop the widespread dissemination of political advertising that risks undermining the electoral process, the European Commission is expected to say on Monday, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
EU officials are particularly worried about the way Meta’s platforms are handling Russia’s efforts to undermine upcoming European elections. The commission, however, is not expected to single out Russia in its statement and will only make reference to the manipulation of information by foreign actors.
EU officials also fear that the company’s mechanism to let users flag illegal content is not easily accessible or user-friendly enough to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act, the bloc’s landmark legislation designed to police content online.
