Meta’s new content moderation rules in the US will not apply in the EU.
The European Union is closely following the decisions taken by the web giants in recent weeks.
The outings of Elon Musk, the boss of X, are causing an outcry in Europe.
Meta’s new rules on content moderation in the United States raise questions among the 27, although they are not concerned.
Mark Zuckerberg announced the replacement of fact-checking with “community notes” on his Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram platforms in the name, he said, of freedom of expression.
If Meta was tempted to change the rules of the game in Europe, it would first have to provide a risk assessment analysis to the European Commission.
“We’re not saying what content moderation policies should be put in place on very large online platforms. That’s their responsibility. If they want to rely entirely on community ratings, that’s a possibility. Now, this possibility, whatever the model chosen by the platform, must be effective”declared Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for the European Commission.
If a platform breaches the Digital Services Act (DSA), a formal procedure is opened.
If this results in a decision of non-compliance, and the platform still refuses to comply, the fines can reach 6% of the company’s global annual turnover.
This procedure is criticized for its slowness. However, the EU has other cards in hand.
“There are other instruments that can intervene in extreme cases. I emphasize the extreme”explains J. Scott Marcus, researcher at CEPS (Center for European Policy Studies).
“Take for example the measures taken to block Russia Today and Sputnik at the time of sanctions against Russia, at the time of the barbaric invasion of Ukraine. This was done within the framework of the sanctions regime implemented by the Council acting in its foreign policy configuration”, continues the professor at the Robert Schuman Center.
The very large digital platforms, the European Commission and the German regulator will also meet around the table on January 24 to discuss the European regulation of platforms, with a view to the early elections in Germany in February.