1. The European Commission (EC) has found TikTok and Meta in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA), accusing both companies of non-compliance with rules requiring them to give researchers access to public data and provide simple ways for EU residents to report illegal content.
2. TikTok and Meta's procedures for requesting access to public data are considered burdensome by the EC, affecting researchers' ability to study the exposure of users, including minors, to harmful or illegal content. The EC also criticized Facebook and Instagram for using manipulative design tricks (dark patterns) when reporting illegal content.
3. Both companies were accused by the EC of having inadequate moderation appeal mechanisms, making it difficult for EU residents to fully explain their disagreements with content decisions, thereby limiting the effectiveness of the appeals mechanism. TikTok and Meta have the opportunity to review the findings, challenge them, and commit to addressing them. Penalties for confirmed breaches can reach up to 6% of global annual revenue.