Brussels – The European Union is enlisting Meta and TikTok to combat the “false promises” spread by criminal networks that are alleged to have fuelled the migration crisis in Ceuta. The two platforms have activated crisis protocols and established an ad hoc cooperation mechanism with fact-checkers to combat disinformation on social media. This measure is also considered essential in anticipation of a possible second wave of migration, expected around 15 August. The activation of the new mechanism was confirmed by Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy. “TikTok and Meta have activated crisis protocols and have now put in place an ad hoc escalation and cooperation mechanism with fact-checkers,” she wrote on X. The aim, she explained, is “to stifle the criminal networks selling false promises, at the cost of human lives.”
According to the Berlaymont Building, the European Commission, Europol, and digital platforms exchange information daily and have stepped up their coordination on the situation. This work, as envisaged by the European Commission, should make it possible to quickly identify false or misleading content that could prompt people to undertake dangerous journeys to the Spanish exclave.
The issue came to light following the massive wave of migration that brought over 70,000 people from Morocco to Ceuta, which also resulted in numerous casualties and reignited the European political clash regarding the management of external borders. Social media is also said to have played a role in the crisis. Several migrants reportedly said they had seen videos and messages on TikTok and other platforms claiming that the border between Morocco and Ceuta had suddenly been opened. According to Brussels, this information may have been disseminated or exploited by criminal networks to persuade people to attempt the crossing.
During the daily press briefing, Balazs Ujvari, spokesperson for the European Commission, explained that, under the coordination of Brussels, fact-checkers familiar with the local situation will be able to report any harmful disinformation content to the platforms, for example content relating to a possible new mass crossing of the border. These reports will help Meta and TikTok assess more quickly which content requires action. Also during the midday briefing—specifically that of 6 August—the European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier had, however, reported that the EU executive had noted “the presence of information and disinformation channels, particularly Russian ones, which have been inciting action on various online platforms since 30 July.”
The Commission is also looking at the Digital Services Act (DSA), the European regulation governing online platforms. Virkkunen held talks with the Spanish Minister for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, Óscar López, during which the importance of fully implementing the DSA in Spain was emphasised. Brussels has said it is ready to “provide further support on digital matters,” should Madrid request it.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the European Commission will convene the working group on information integrity—one of the groups under the Board for Digital Services to discuss, among other things, monitoring the situation in Ceuta and possible further measures provided for under the DSA. Brussels’ aim is therefore to be prepared for a possible new crisis, preventing social media from once again becoming “the platform through which criminal networks fuel expectations and irregular journeys” to Ceuta. Because, once again, it is the people who pay the price, at a cost measured in human lives.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
