The European Union (EU) has issued warnings to social media platforms TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) concerning the spread of disinformation amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza. In a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, the EU urged the platform to “urgently step up” efforts and comply with European law within the next 24 hours. Similar warnings were issued to X and Meta.
The EU emphasised that TikTok, in particular, needed to be vigilant due to its popularity among young people. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton stressed TikTok’s obligation to protect children and teenagers from violent content and propaganda.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino responded to the EU’s concerns by stating that the company had removed or flagged tens of thousands of pieces of content related to the conflict and had removed hundreds of accounts. She added that X had responded to over 80 requests in the EU to remove content and had added contextual notes to certain posts, providing context related to the attacks.
Meta, too, has been under scrutiny, and the company established a special operations center to monitor and respond to the evolving situation in the region. The EU has set a 24-hour deadline for these platforms to prove they have taken “timely, diligent, and objective action” against disinformation.
The EU’s warnings come after the introduction of new regulations, such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), which require large online platforms to proactively remove illegal content. Failure to comply could result in heavy fines or, in extreme cases, temporary bans from operating within the EU.