EU says cooperation with Meta and TikTok on Ceuta is 'bearing fruit'

The European Commission (EC) announced Thursday that its "ad hoc" cooperation mechanism with Meta, TikTok, and data verification organizations is proving effective in curbing disinformation on social media concerning migration flows toward the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta.

"Cooperation with Meta and TikTok, in particular, is bearing fruit. We have fact-checkers analyzing content. They are applying policies against smuggling, violence, incitement, and hate speech. In fact, there are fact-checkers working 24/7," said community spokesperson Balazs Ujvari.

The EC indicated that platforms are making efforts to provide users with accurate information when they search for specific topics, aiming to promote truthful content and prevent the spread of misinformation. The Commission scheduled another meeting for Thursday afternoon to discuss the latest developments and recent events, following several sessions held since Monday to track social media posts related to a potential mass migrant arrival on August 15.

TikTok has activated a special security team as part of its "consolidated global protocol to respond to emerging events," monitoring regional trends and emerging threats, including potential deceptive behaviors, a platform spokesperson told EFE. The social network has not yet confirmed any activity constituting a "covert influence operation" concerning Ceuta.

Brussels held an initial meeting with platforms and verifiers last Friday and planned another session on Thursday with the Information Integrity Working Group, part of the council of digital services coordinators. This meeting focuses on the situation in Ceuta, which recently experienced a massive irregular influx of tens of thousands of people.