EU launches disinformation probe against social media giant Meta

The European Commission has launched a disinformation probe against social media giant Meta.

The EU announced the investigation into the operator of Facebook and Instagram on Tuesday, saying suspects the US company of breaching the bloc’s online content rules. Brussels has raised its efforts to clamp down on disinformation ahead of EU elections in June.

The commission said Meta’s efforts at moderating content are “insufficient” and fail to tackle deceptive advertising and disinformation.

The Digital Services Act (DSA), which became effective last year, requires “Big Tech” to do more to counter illegal and harmful content on social media platforms.

“We suspect that Meta’s moderation is insufficient, that it lacks transparency of advertisements and content moderation procedures,” EU digital chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.