The European Union has formally required TikTok and Meta to provide information concerning the potential dissemination of false or misleading information related to the Israel-Gaza conflict on their platforms. Unlike the previous non-binding request, this latest demand carries legal force, and the companies now have one week to respond.

Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), failure to comply could result in fines of up to 6% of a company's global turnover or even suspension of their platforms. The EU's primary concern is the spread of terrorist and violent content and hate speech following the recent conflict involving Hamas. This follows the EU's recent contact with X on similar concerns, further highlighting the increasing focus on addressing misinformation and ensuring online safety.

Why does it matter?

This request follows the European Commission's selection in April of 19 major digital platforms, including Meta, TikTok, Amazon, Apple's App Store, Microsoft's LinkedIn, Google services, and X, to adhere to stricter content moderation rules under the DSA. While the DSA's ability to impose substantial fines is a compelling motivation for these companies to comply with the EU's requirements, the unfolding of this situation will certainly be closely watched to assess the practical impact of these regulatory measures.