Meta, TikTok agree to boost fact-checking after Ceuta migrant rush — EU

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The EU said Tuesday Meta and TikTok had agreed to voluntary steps to boost fact-checking of harmful disinformation linked to the Ceuta migrant rush — but did not rule out compelling the tech giants to do more.

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Experts say social media disinformation helped drive the deadly rush of 72,000 migrants from Morocco into Spain’s north African territory late last month — with for instance a rumour that “the Ceuta border is open” spreading like wildfire online.

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The European Commission said it had increased coordination with Meta and TikTok alongside the European police force Europol, and set up a mechanism helping the platforms to better cooperate with local fact-checkers.

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“The platforms confirmed that they activated their crisis protocols and… it was decided that an ad-hoc escalation and cooperation mechanism would be put in place,” a spokesman for the bloc’s executive, Balazs Ujvari, told reporters.

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“For now, we think that this is an effective tool. But of course, if needed, we are ready to go further,” he added.

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The mechanism can be launched in times of crisis under the EU’s online content rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), and was done so on a voluntary basis “under the coordination of the Commission,” Ujvari said.

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It aims to help “platforms get better information from the fact-checkers” tasked with flagging “harmful disinformation related to, for example, a potential new mass crossing of the border,” he said.

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The move came after the EU held talks with Meta and TikTok Friday and Monday, and the spokesman said Brussels remained in contact with the platforms.

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AFP is among a number of third-party media outlets paid by some online platforms including Meta for work to tackle disinformation, and is one of the group’s fact-checking partners in Spain.

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A Meta spokesperson said a team was “monitoring the situation in Ceuta in real time and removing content that violates our policies – including content that offers to provide, facilitate or seek human smuggling services”.

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TikTok also underlined it has strict rules against content that encourages or enables human smuggling and illegal border crossings.

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TikTok said it was working with journalism and fact-checking organisation Newtral in Spain and MapExpress in Morocco, pushing them to be vigilant when looking at content during any rapidly-evolving situation.

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AFP

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