The EU turns against Zuckerberg for accusing Brussels of promoting censorship on social networks

Meta’s decision to replace fact-checking with community notes on Facebook, Instagram and Threads across the seas has caused a stir on this side of the Atlantic (and the company led by Mark Zuckerberg will soon launch fact-checking in these parts).

The anger of the European Union is actually motivated by Zuckerberg’s words, which He assured last Tuesday that Brussels’ rules and regulations regarding the moderation of online content only encouraged censorship on social networks.

“We do not ask any platform to remove any content of a legal nature”, emphasizes Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for the European Commission. In Regnier’s opinion, it is necessary to distinguish between illegal content and potentially harmful content, which straddles the line between legality and illegality. To stop potentially harmful content, the European Union asks digital platforms to take measures to prevent possible risks, recalls Reigner. And such measures are absolutely crucial to prevent possible damage to minors and democracy, says the spokesperson for the Community Executive.

“We categorically deny that the European authorities encourage censorship”adds Paula Pinho, chief spokesperson for the European Commission.

The response from the European Commission specifically refers to the words spoken last Tuesday by Mark Zuckerberg in a video in which the CEO of Meta announced changes to content moderation on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.

Zuckerberg alleged in that video that the changes were introduced to put freedom of expression at the forefront and limit censorship, a censorship that, according to the CEO of Meta, would be promoted directly from the European Union. “Europe has an increasing number of rules that institutionalize censorship”Zuckerberg said in that video.

Zuckerberg has accused the European Union of institutionalizing censorship

The CEO of Meta also reported in that video of his willingness to work side by side with Donald Trump, president-elect of the United States, to stop those governments that deliberately act against American companies.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) is the main instrument used today by the European Union to regulate the content that makes its way to social networks.. This regulation applies from August 2023 to large digital platforms (among which is Meta). Pursuant to the provisions of the DSA, the European Commission opened a formal investigation against Meta in April last year for a potential violation of this rule. And a few months later, in August 2024, Brussels asked Facebook and Instagram to provide information on their plans regarding updates to their content monitoring functions.

The changes in content moderation in Meta have also been the subject of discussion in recent days within the European Parliamentwhere some parliamentarians have accused X and the company led by Mark Zuckerberg of manipulating public opinion by relying on technological tricks and endangering democracy.

“We are witnessing a very dangerous drift”warns Alexandra Geese, Green MEP. “Through the distortion advocated by algorithms and the deliberate elimination of ‘fact-checking’, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are flooding their respective platforms with hate, agitation and misinformation,” says the MEP.

In a plenary session that will take place next week in Strasbourg the Greens group in the European Parliament wishes to highlight how The European Commission can effectively put a stop to disinformation and hate speech on social media by relying on the DSA.