EU opens probe into Facebook and Instagram amid claims they are not doing enough to tackle Russian disinformation ahead of crunch elections
- French minister says country has been 'overwhelmed by Russian propaganda'
The European Union has launched an investigation into Facebook and Instagram amid claims they are not doing enough to tackle Russian disinformation which could potentially undermine democracy.
Brussels is especially concerned that Meta, the company which runs the social media platforms, does not have an 'effective' tool in place to monitor elections ahead of EU-wide polls June 6 to 9.
There have been warnings about a surge of Russian interference ahead of the crunch vote, with reports that pro-Kremlin networks are thriving on the West's most popular social media sites.
'We are overwhelmed by Russian propaganda, on a scale which would have been hard to imagine just a few years ago,' France's European affairs minister Jean-Noël Barrot told POLITICO.
The probe announced today is under the EU's new Digital Services Act, a landmark law that cracks down on illegal content online and forces the world's biggest tech companies to do more to protect users.
!['If we suspect a violation of the rules, we act,' Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/30/17/84277071-0-image-m-28_1714492844681.jpg)
'If we suspect a violation of the rules, we act,' Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said
![Brussels is especially concerned that Meta, the company which runs the social media platforms, does not have an 'effective' tool in place to monitor elections](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/30/16/84276221-0-image-a-10_1714492648415.jpg)
Brussels is especially concerned that Meta, the company which runs the social media platforms, does not have an 'effective' tool in place to monitor elections
'This Commission has created means to protect European citizens from targeted disinformation and manipulation by third countries. If we suspect a violation of the rules, we act,' Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The European Commission said it suspected Meta's moderation of adverts was 'insufficient' and that an increase in paid spots in those conditions could harm 'electoral processes and fundamental rights, including consumer protection rights'.
While interference is also coming from other foreign agents, EU leaders are especially worried about Russian attempts to manipulate public opinion and undermine European democracy.
EU states are said to be weighing up broader sanctions to target individuals and groups either responsible or involved in destabilising activities in favour of Russia.
The probe seeks 'to make sure that effective actions are taken in particular to prevent that Instagram's and Facebook's vulnerabilities are exploited by foreign interference,' EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton said.
'We suspect that Meta's moderation is insufficient, that it lacks transparency of advertisements and content moderation procedures,' commission executive vice president Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.
![EU states are said to be weighing up broader sanctions to target individuals and groups either responsible or involved in destabilising activities in favour of Russia](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/30/16/84276215-0-image-a-9_1714492633215.jpg)
EU states are said to be weighing up broader sanctions to target individuals and groups either responsible or involved in destabilising activities in favour of Russia
Facebook and Instagram are among 23 'very large' online platforms that must comply with the DSA or risk fines up running up to six percent of a platform's global turnover, or even a ban for egregious cases.
Other platforms include Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.
Meta has a huge reach in the 450-million strong bloc, with Facebook and Instagram having more than 260 million monthly active users respectively.
The focus of the EU investigation is wide, and also includes Meta's move to reduce political content in Facebook and Instagram's recommender systems.
Brussels fears this could be in violation with the DSA's rules on transparency.
The EU also suspects that Meta's mechanism to flag illegal content is not sufficiently easy to access or user-friendly, the commission said. There is no deadline by which the probe must end.
Meta did not comment on the investigation's focus, instead stating more generally that the US company had 'a well-established process for identifying and mitigating risks on our platforms'.
A Meta spokesperson added: 'We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the European Commission and providing them with further details of this work.'