EU Flags TikTok & Meta for Breaching Transparency Rules

The European Commission has raised alarms over TikTok and Meta, citing possible violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The preliminary findings suggest both social media giants may have hindered researchers from accessing public data, a move that could impact studies on user safety, including exposure to illegal or harmful content.

Under the DSA, platforms are required to provide “adequate access” to their public data so researchers can evaluate the physical and mental health impacts of social media. The Commission claims that Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have introduced cumbersome procedures that often result in incomplete or unreliable data.

In addition to data transparency concerns, Meta — encompassing Facebook and Instagram — is reportedly failing to provide simple mechanisms for users to report illegal content and challenge moderation decisions effectively.

If these preliminary findings are confirmed, the Commission can impose fines of up to 6% of a company’s total global annual revenue, a sum that could run into billions of dollars for both ByteDance (TikTok) and Meta.

This is not the first time the EU has taken action. Earlier this year, Meta faced a €200 million fine under the Digital Markets Act for issues around user consent for data collection. TikTok was also penalized €530 million by the Irish Data Protection Commission for data transfers to China.

The Commission has invited both companies to review its findings and respond in writing. The investigations reflect the EU’s broader efforts to hold Big Tech accountable and ensure online platforms operate with transparency, user safety, and fairness in mind.