EU finds Meta and TikTok breached DSA on data access and reporting

The European Commission on Friday said Meta and TikTok breached key obligations of the bloc's Digital Services Act, finding the platforms had impeded researchers' access to public data and that Meta's Facebook and Instagram made it difficult for users to flag illegal content and challenge moderation decisions. The preliminary findings, issued in Brussels, open the companies to possible fines of up to 6 percent of their annual worldwide revenue if the breaches are confirmed.

The Commission said investigations launched in 2024 showed both companies had established procedures and tools that created unnecessary burdens for independent researchers seeking platform data, a transparency requirement under the DSA intended to allow public scrutiny of how algorithms and content flows affect users. It also concluded that Facebook and Instagram deployed so called dark patterns, or deceptive interface designs, in their reporting systems that could confuse and dissuade users from reporting material such as child sexual abuse or terrorist content, and that appeals processes lacked sufficient clarity and detail.

Henna Virkunnen, the EU's executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security...