EU tells Meta, TikTok to boost monitoring, fact-checking after Ceuta crisis

The EU's tech chief called on Meta and TikTok to "act decisively" against disinformation during crises, after the European Commission held talks with both platforms on Friday.

The talks followed last week's deadly migrant surge into Spain's Ceuta enclave, which authorities partly blame on false rumors spread online.

What is the EU asking Meta and TikTok to do?

The EU wants Meta and TikTok to strengthen monitoring of their platforms and deepen cooperation with fact-checkers, particularly during crisis situations. Tech sovereignty commissioner Henna Virkkunen said platforms "must act decisively in keeping the integrity of the digital space." She confirmed the European Commission would follow up with both companies on Monday.

A wave of social media disinformation is believed to have fueled the deadly rush of tens of thousands of men, women and children into Spain's north African territory. The surge followed a false rumor that the Ceuta border had opened, which spread rapidly on social media platforms.

What happened during the Ceuta migrant crossing?

Spain moved quickly to send people back from Ceuta after the surge. Spanish authorities announced on Tuesday that of the 72,000 people who entered the enclave from Morocco on July 30 and 31, all but 2,000 had returned. Officials said 80 people died during the crossings.

The incident has become politically charged within Europe. Right-wing voices seized on it as evidence that Europe faces uncontrolled immigration, and it has opened a diplomatic rift between Spain and fellow EU member Italy, which favours a tougher line on migration.

Was the Ceuta surge organized deliberately?

EU migration chief Magnus Brunner described the Ceuta episode on Tuesday as a "test" of the bloc's border security and its "resilience to disinformation." He said the crossings were "fueled by criminal smuggling networks and also disinformation," though he cautioned it was "too early" to determine who was behind the online activity, whether smugglers or a foreign power such as Russia.

Brunner said the EU "must strengthen our capacity to follow misinformation trends on social media, working hand in hand with Europol and all other EU agencies." Separately, an open-source investigation by technology company Golden Owl concluded "with a high degree of confidence" that the migrant rush "was a deliberately organized operation."

AFP, along with other media outlets, is paid by some platforms, including Meta, Google and TikTok, for work to tackle disinformation.