These standards give a glimpse into the kind of regulations big tech companies can expect to face under the upcoming digital content law.
The EU’s Code of Conduct for Disinformation, unveiled Thursday, replaces a set of voluntary guidelines on how to deal with online content that authorities consider false or willfully misleading. Portions of the new code, which Tiktok and Google have also agreed to, will become mandatory for large platforms under the new Digital Services Act.
For example, under the new law, social media platforms are expected to take steps to prevent ads from appearing alongside information that politicians consider intentionally false or misleading. Additionally, platforms should provide users with more tools to identify such online content.
Platforms that are currently voluntarily complying with the new code are expected to submit a first report early next year explaining how they are being implemented.
The new code of conduct is part of a broader push by the European Union to limit the power of big tech companies. This affects the way they handle user data, and it continues with how they deal with competitors and how they deal with potentially dangerous content.
Meta shares were temporarily down 5.4 percent on Nasdaq at $160.21, while Twitter’s paper was down 1.27 percent at $37.51.
Written by Kim McCrell and Sam Schechner
Brussels (Dow Jones)
