EU Commission gives Meta platforms and TikTok one-week ultimatum to combat terrorism and hate speech

In a significant development, the European Commission has issued a one-week ultimatum to Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) and TikTok to provide detailed plans to combat the spread of terrorism, violence, and hate speech on their respective platforms. This demand comes just a week after Elon Musk’s company, X, was instructed to undertake a similar initiative.

According to Reuters, on Friday (20 Oct), the executive arm of the European Union revealed that it had sent information requests to both companies in response to the discovery of disinformation spreading following the recent Hamas attack on Israel more than a week ago.

The aerial view shows members of the media visiting Kibbutz Kfar Aza, following a deadly attack by the armed group Hamas from the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Sunday (15 Oct). (Photo: REUTERS).

The European Commission is now closely monitoring the situation, and if it is not satisfied with the responses from these tech giants, it has the authority to launch an investigation.

This action is taken under the new online content rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), which recently came into effect. It imposes greater responsibilities on major online platforms to remove illegal and harmful content or face penalties of up to 6% of their global revenue.

The European Commission has set strict deadlines for Meta and TikTok. Meta is required to provide the requested information to the Commission by no later than Saturday (25 Oct), concerning crisis response and, importantly, by Wednesday (8 Nov), regarding the protection of the integrity of general elections. This is a clear indication that the European Commission is taking the issue of electoral integrity very seriously.

Similarly, TikTok has been instructed to submit the requested information to the European Commission no later than Saturday (25 Oct), related to crisis response. Additionally, TikTok is mandated to provide details on the protection of electoral integrity and the safety of minors online before Wednesday (8 Nov).