Overview
- EU investigators say both companies restricted researchers’ access to public data, leaving studies on exposure to illegal or harmful content—especially for minors—with partial or unreliable results.
- Meta is accused of lacking easy ways to report illegal content and to appeal moderation decisions, with interfaces described as dark patterns that complicate reporting of child sexual abuse material.
- Meta and TikTok are designated Very Large Online Platforms, placing them under direct Commission enforcement through ongoing Article 66 proceedings.
- Both firms can review the case file and respond before any final decision, with penalties of up to 6% of worldwide turnover if violations are confirmed.
- In a parallel development in the U.S., a D.C. judge ruled the attorney general may use Meta internal documents in teen-harm litigation, adding legal pressure outside Europe.