In an official press release published on Friday, October 24, 2025, the European Commission preliminarily found both TikTok and U.S. Tech Giant Meta in breach of their obligation to grant researchers adequate access to public data under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The Commission’s preliminary findings also stated that Meta’s Facebook and Instagram did not appear to offer “user-friendly and easily accessible” systems for reporting illegal content, including child sexual abuse material or terrorist propaganda. Both platforms allegedly employ “deceptive interface designs” and burdensome processes that could discourage users from flagging harmful content.
TikTok was also found to have restricted researcher access in ways that may hinder public scrutiny of how the platform affects physical and mental health.
Meta told Reuters it disagreed with the findings, citing improvements to its content-reporting and data-access tools since the DSA took effect. TikTok said it is reviewing the decision, noting that easing data safeguards may conflict with EU privacy law (GDPR).
If confirmed, the violations could result in fines of up to 6% of each company’s annual global turnover, according to the Commission.
Feature image by Farhat Altaf on Unsplash