Barbero censored by Meta over justice referendum; EU: “We monitor platforms’ compliance with regulations”

Brussels – The internet and freedom of thought: an issue that has gripped the political debate and has now become a major talking point in Italy, where the campaign for the referendum on judicial reform and the proposed separation of judicial careers, which voters rejected, has seen social media platforms take a stance that is considered controversial. Members of the Five Star Movement in the European Parliament, Gaetano Pedullà, Carolina Morace, Mario Furore, and Danilo Della Valle, with the support of Dario Tamburrano, have raised the issue of a video in which the historian Alessandro Barbero expresses his opinion that, they allege in the parliamentary question, “had its visibility limited [by Meta, ed] and been put behind a screen on which the words ‘False information: checked by independent fact-checkers’.” 

In essence, “fact-checking should not amount to censorship” on the internet, the Five Star Movement claims, arguing that the Barbero incident raises “concerns about the role platforms play in moderating content concerning matters of public interest.” Meta is the company that controls Facebook and Instagram and is already at the centre of numerous disputes with the European Commission over its failure to comply with EU rules on digital services, the latest of which regards policies deemed inadequate for protecting minors on its platforms.

The European Commission is not taking a position for now, but says it is aware of the Barbero case and will step in later if necessary. “The Commission initiated proceedings in relation to Meta for the suspected demotion of
political content through Facebook and Instagram’s recommender systems,“Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty and Democracy, responded on behalf of the entire College. These proceedings were initiated on 30 April 2024, and the case remains open. The EU executive is taking the time it deems necessary for complex investigations. However, Virkkunen assures that “the Commission shall evaluate the DSA (Digital Services Act) by 17
November 2027, addressing, among others, its impact on the respect for the right of freedom
of expression and information.“

The ‘Barbero case’ could therefore be avoided in future. Virkkunen assures MEPs from the Five Star Movement: “The Commission
is continuously monitoring compliance with the obligations of the DSA.”