EU "Meta Must Present Supplementary Measures for 'Misinformation Tracking Tools'"

The European Union (EU) pressured Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, on the 16th (local time) to submit supplementary measures after it discontinued the so-called 'misinformation tracking tool.'

The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, announced that it sent an official information request to Meta under the Digital Services Act (DSA) regulations on the same day. The Commission explained, "(Meta) discontinued the CrowdTangle service on the 14th," and "requested information regarding alternative measures to comply with the obligation to grant researchers access to data and plans to strengthen monitoring functions related to elections and civic discourse." The deadline for response is June 6. CrowdTangle is a real-time data pathway tracking tool that helped the media, academia, and civic groups identify misinformation.

This action is part of an investigation launched by the Commission against Meta for DSA violations at the end of April. At that time, the Commission expressed concerns about Meta's plan to discontinue the CrowdTangle service. It also suspected that Facebook and Instagram's response to misinformation was insufficient ahead of various elections within the region, including the European Parliament elections in June.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Despite Meta introducing a new tool to replace CrowdTangle, criticism continues. According to Meta's plan announced in the first half of this year, CrowdTangle will be replaced from this month by a new tool called 'Content Library.' However, some researchers point out that the Content Library does not provide the same level of functionality as CrowdTangle. There is also criticism that the timing of the replacement was inappropriate, as it occurred just before major elections in the United States and other key countries.

The DSA is a law introduced in August last year to prevent the spread of content online that is biased against certain races, genders, or religions, or that involves terrorism or child sexual abuse. Platforms with more than 45 million monthly users within the EU, including Facebook and Instagram, are designated as 'Very Large Online Platforms' (VLOPs) and are subject to strict DSA regulations. If Meta is found to have violated the DSA, it could face fines of up to 6% of its global revenue.