Mark Zuckerberg’s claims of censorship are refuted by the EU, which emphasizes that its Digital Services Act only targets illegal content, not lawful posts.
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| The European Commission denies accusations of censorship by Meta, explaining that EU laws require platforms to remove harmful, not lawful, content. Image/ Illustration: ChicHue |
Brussels, Belgium --- January 9, 2025:
The European Commission on Wednesday rejected Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's assertions that European Union (EU) data laws amount to censorship of social media platforms. In response to Zuckerberg's comments, the EU’s executive body clarified that its regulations, including the Digital Services Act (DSA), only require platforms to remove illegal content and take measures against harmful material—such as content that could threaten children or destabilize democratic processes—not lawful content.
Zuckerberg had criticized EU regulations in a recent statement, claiming that the bloc's increasing number of laws were "institutionalizing censorship" and stifling innovation. He also said Meta’s decision to scrap its U.S. fact-checking programs and move toward a new "community notes" system was a response to global concerns over censorship. “Europe has an ever-increasing number of laws institutionalizing censorship and making it difficult to build anything innovative there,” Zuckerberg argued.
In contrast, the European Commission emphasized that the DSA does not force platforms to remove lawful content, but rather requires them to tackle content that is harmful or illegal, such as misleading information or material that could endanger minors. “We absolutely refute any claims of censorship,” said a Commission spokesperson. The spokesperson added that the EU’s approach was focused on protecting users from harm without infringing on free speech.
Zuckerberg’s new initiative, the "community notes" system, will replace Meta’s fact-checking programs for Facebook, Instagram, and Threads in the U.S. This system allows users to flag misleading posts, and if enough contributors rate a note as helpful, it becomes public. The Commission acknowledged that while it did not dictate specific content moderation practices, any such system used within the EU would need to undergo a risk assessment and be submitted to EU authorities for approval.
The Commission also reassured EU users that they would continue to benefit from independent fact-checking on content posted by U.S. users, ensuring ongoing oversight of content accuracy and reliability across platforms.
In sum, while Zuckerberg's new content moderation model may be adopted by Meta, the European Commission’s stance remains clear: platforms must protect users from harmful content but cannot engage in the censorship of lawful speech.