EU says Meta TikTok broke transparency rules

The European Union found Meta and TikTok violated transparency rules under the Digital Services Act after completing investigations on Friday. Regulators determined that both companies restricted researchers’ access to platform data and made it unnecessarily difficult for users to report illegal content. Meta’s Facebook and Instagram used confusing interface designs that discouraged people from flagging child abuse material and terrorist posts. The European Commission said such practices undermine public trust and prevent proper scrutiny of how social media affects mental and physical health.

Meta disagreed with the findings and said it had already updated reporting tools and appeals processes to meet legal requirements. TikTok claimed the transparency mandates conflict with existing European privacy regulations and asked officials to clarify how companies should balance competing obligations. Both firms can submit formal responses to the inquiry before facing potential penalties. The bloc may impose fines reaching 6 percent of annual global revenue if violations are confirmed.