"We Don't Censor Social Media, We Regulate Harmful Content," Says EU In Response To Meta.
On Wednesday, the European Commission rejected Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s claims that EU data laws enforce censorship on social media.
According to the Commission, the Digital Services Act (DSA) only requires large platforms to remove illegal and harmful content, not lawful content.
Zuckerberg had earlier stated that Europe has an increasing number of laws institutionalising censorship, making it difficult to innovate. However, the European Commission spokesperson emphasised, “We absolutely refute any claims of censorship.”
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In response to the EU’s data laws, Meta has decided to scrap its US fact-checking programs and replace them with a “community notes” system.
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Zuckerberg had stated that scrapping fact-checking would foster “free speech” on the platform. He also criticised fact-checkers, saying they’ve been “politically biased” and have eroded trust, particularly in the US.
This move was said to be amid accusations from conservatives, including President-elect Donald Trump, that the platform engages in “censorship” and favours “liberal” values. Zuckerberg has previously expressed regret over the company’s handling of certain content moderation issues, including COVID-19.
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This system allows contributors to write notes on posts they believe are misleading which are then made public if rated as helpful by multiple contributors.
The European Commission has stated that for such a system to be used in the EU, a platform must conduct a risk assessment and submit it to the EU executive.
The Commission spokesperson clarified that the EU does not prescribe the form of content moderation, but rather checks the effectiveness of the measures adopted by platforms. EU users will continue to benefit from independent fact-checking of content posted in the United States.
