15-01-2025
Calling for EU protection in response to Meta’s Policy Changes and Enforcing Compliance with European Union Regulations letter
The Good Lobby, alongside a coalition of civil society organisations, academics, and experts, has signed an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urging robust action in response to Meta’s recent decision to replace third-party fact-checking with its Community Notes system.
This policy shift raises serious concerns about compliance with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and the potential spread of disinformation, which could endanger public safety and democratic processes. The letter emphasises the need for swift risk assessments, enhanced protection for vulnerable groups—particularly minors—and strong enforcement of EU regulations.
The letter
Dear President Von der Leyen,
We are writing to you to express our deep concerns regarding Meta’s recent announcement about the removal of their third-party fact-checking program and its replacement with Community Notes. We believe this policy shift may not adequately address the rigorous standards of protection required under European Union law, especially concerning disinformation and the potential for content to incite violence. The riots witnessed in France and Ireland in the past years, fuelled by misleading content, highlight the serious consequences of unchecked misinformation, which cannot be defended under the guise of freedom of speech.
We would like to get reassurances that the European Commission will ensure Meta’s policy ending third-party fact-checking will be rolled out in the EU only insofar as it is applied in a manner which is fully consistent with Meta’s obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), particularly the requirement to perform robust risk assessments and implement effective risk mitigation measures. The Commission, under your first mandate, has already launched an investigation into the effectiveness of X’s Community Notes in curbing disinformation, with a specific focus on inadequate risk mitigating measures. We take the opportunity of this letter to demand a public account of the state of play of such investigation against X (formerly known as Twitter), initiated in December 2023, for which we expect swift action to be taken, especially in view of recent developments: the DSA was proposed by the Commission with the promise of strong and timely action to protect civic discourse and electoral processes in the EU among others and we demand that this promise by the Commission as DSA enforcer is kept.
Concerning Meta’s policy change, it is crucial that the risk assessment be conducted swiftly, and we urge you to make the results publicly available. Indeed, Meta’s policy development is particularly concerning in light of the series of cases already ongoing against Meta platforms for compliance with the DSA, on which we also expect the European Commission to act swiftly.
In addition to the protection of the broader public, we are particularly worried about the potential impact of this policy change on minors. It is imperative that young users be afforded the highest level of protection from harmful and misleading content, for example to prevent radicalisation.
Finally, we would like to point out that this policy shift also conflicts with Meta’s commitments under the European Union’s Code of Practice on Disinformation, which you sponsored in 2022. As this Code is expected to be converted into a formal Code of Conduct under the DSA, any deviation from these commitments is highly concerning.
We expect the European Commission to take this matter seriously and to scrutinize Meta’s adherence to its legal obligations. We expect the Commission to act without hesitation, using the full toolbox provided for under the DSA, including interim measures.
We look forward to your prompt and thorough response to these pressing concerns.
Sincerely,
Women Against Fascism
Avaaz
Article 19
Corporate Europe Observatory
Defend Democracy
HateAid
Lie Detectors
LobbyControl
Media Monitoring Africa
“NEVER AGAIN” Association
Open Markets Europe
SOMO
The Good Lobby
WeMove Europe
Professors, researchers, media & civil society actors:
Prof. Alberto Alemanno, HEC Paris
Associate Prof. Emma Briant, Monash University
Prof. Joanna Bryson, Hertie School Berlin
Maria Farrell, writer
Associate Prof. Farah Focquaert
Vera Franz, University College London Faculty of Laws
Prof. Jayati Ghosh, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Louise Hilditch, Full Circle Brussels
Shada Islam, New Horizons, founder and managing director
Sophie in ‘t Veld, former Member of the European Parliament
Namita Kambli, just transition advocate
Emre Kızılkaya, Journalist and editor
Nuria Köchling, Oxford Internet Institute
Maria Koomen, democracy and technology scholar
Prof. Stephan Lewandowsky, University of Bristol
Anna Marchese, Columbia World Projects
Paul Mason, Journalist, Author
Chloé Mikolajczak, environmental and social justice activist
Diego Naranjo, human rights advocate
Bridie Nathanson, Full Circle Brussels
Prof. Rafal Pankowski, Collegium Civitas, Warsaw
Anya Schiffrin, Director Columbia School of International and Public Affairs
Prof. Lyndsey Stonebridge, University of Birmingham
Alfiaz Vaiya, UK Parliament, previously European Parliament
Prof. Victor Montori, Mayo Clinic and Chair The Patient Revolution
Associate Prof. Cecilia Rikap, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose
Adele Zeynep Walton, online safety campaigner
Matti Ylönen, University of Helsinki
Prof. Shoshana Zuboff, Harvard University