European Union: Opened European Commission formal proceedings against Meta over alleged non-compliance with DSA requirements to address illegal content and disinformation

On 30 April 2024, the European Commission initiated formal proceedings to investigate whether Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has failed to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA). The investigation focuses on several alleged infringements, including Meta's handling of deceptive advertising and political content, as well as the absence of an effective third-party tool for real-time civic discourse and election monitoring. The investigation follows a preliminary analysis of Meta's risk assessment report submitted in September 2023, alongside Meta's responses to requests for formal Information regarding various concerns such as illegal content, disinformation, data access, and the use of generative AI. The Commission's allegations extend to Meta's "notice-and-action" mechanism for flagging illegal content and the adequacy of its internal complaint-handling system. The investigation will also focus on Meta's policies that demote political content on Instagram and Facebook, assessing their compliance with DSA obligations related to transparency, user redress, and the mitigation of risks to civic discourse and electoral processes..