The European Commission sent Meta a request for information Friday under the EU’s Digital Services Act following Meta’s decision to discontinue its CrowdTangle disinformation tool.
After the discontinuation on 14 August, the Commission is requesting Meta – which owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp amongst others – to provide more information on the measures it has taken to comply with its obligations to give researchers access to data that is publicly accessible on the online interface of Facebook and Instagram, as required by the DSA.
The EU executive also wants information on Meta’s plans to update its election and civic discourse monitoring functionalities.
Specifically, the Commission is requesting information about Meta’s content library and application programming interface (API), including their eligibility criteria, the application process, the data that can be accessed and functionalities.
On 30 April, the Commission opened formal proceedings against Meta under the DSA, and these are ongoing. One of the grievances focused on the non-availability of an effective third-party, real-time civic discourse and election-monitoring tool ahead of the elections to the European Parliament and national elections, as well as shortcomings in Meta’s provision of access for researchers to publicly available data.
To alleviate the Commission’s concerns in view of the European Parliament elections, at the end of May Meta deployed new functionalities in CrowdTangle. These included 27 new public real time visual dashboards, one for each EU Member State, to allow third party real time civic discourse and election monitoring.
These functionalities have now been discontinued. The Commission is asking Meta to provide the requested information by 6 September. Based on the assessment of the replies, the Commission will determine the next steps, which could include interim measures, and non-compliance decisions.
The Commission can also accept commitments made by Meta to remedy the issues raised in the proceedings. The Commission can also impose fines for incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information in response to an RFI.
In case of failure to reply, the Commission may issue a formal request by decision. In this case, failure to reply by the deadline could lead to the imposition of periodic penalty payments. – to provide more information on the measures it has taken to comply with its obligations to give researchers access to data that is publicly accessible on the online interface of Facebook and Instagram, as required by the DSA.
The EU executive also wants information on Meta’s plans to update its election and civic discourse monitoring functionalities.
Specifically, the Commission is requesting information about Meta’s content library and application programming interface (API), including their eligibility criteria, the application process, the data that can be accessed and functionalities.
On 30 April, the Commission opened formal proceedings against Meta under the DSA, and these are ongoing.
One of the grievances focused on the non-availability of an effective third-party, real-time civic discourse and election-monitoring tool ahead of the elections to the European Parliament and national elections, as well as shortcomings in Meta’s provision of access for researchers to publicly available data.
To alleviate the Commission’s concerns in view of the European Parliament elections, at the end of May Meta deployed new functionalities in CrowdTangle. These included 27 new public real time visual dashboards, one for each EU Member State, to allow third party real time civic discourse and election monitoring.
These functionalities have now been discontinued.
The Commission ismasking Meta to provide the requested information by 6 September. Based on the assessment of the replies, the Commission will determine the next steps, which could include interim measures, and non-compliance decisions.
The Commission can also accept commitments made by Meta to remedy the issues raised in the proceedings.
The Commission can also impose fines for incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information in response to an RFI. In case of failure to reply, the Commission may issue a formal request by decision. In this case, failure to reply by the deadline could lead to the imposition of periodic penalty payments.
