The European Commission on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, issued preliminary findings that TikTok and Meta failed to meet key transparency and user-protection requirements under the Digital Services Act (DSA), according to the European Commission.The assessment focuses on researcher access to public data across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and on Meta’s obligations to provide simple tools for users to flag illegal content and appeal moderation decisions.
According to the European Commission, the effect of the imposed burdensome processes by Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok has left researchers with partial or unreliable public data, limiting independent scrutiny—especially on exposure to illegal or harmful content affecting minors. The Commission said this data-access obligation is central to DSA transparency.
According to the European Commission, Meta also seems to fail on “Notice and Action” mechanisms for Facebook and Instagram: users should be able to flag illegal content—such as child sexual abuse material or terrorist content—on these platforms with clear, accessible tools. The Commission believes Meta’s current flows add unnecessary steps and include “dark patterns” that might discourage reports and weaken enforcement.
The Commission further noted that Meta’s mechanism for appeals regarding the takedown of content or account suspension does not appear to offer any avenue for explanations or supporting evidence from users, making it more difficult for one to effectively challenge decisions made by the platform, according to the European Commission. The analysis involved cooperation with Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s media regulator.
These are preliminary findings and do not prejudge the outcome of the investigation, according to the European Commission. The companies can review the case files and respond in writing. If confirmed, a non-compliance decision could lead to fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover and periodic penalty payments. New rules expanding researcher access to certain non-public data ta ke effect Oct. 29, 2025.
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