The European Union has intensified its regulatory scrutiny of major technology firms, with the European Commission announcing charges against Meta Platforms Inc. and a new investigation into Alphabet's Google. On December 2, 2025, the Commission charged Meta for allegedly failing to properly handle illegal content on Facebook and Instagram under the Digital Services Act (DSA), marking the first such case against a social media giant.
The Commission stated that Meta's systems for reporting illegal material, such as child sexual abuse imagery and terrorist propaganda, violate DSA rules on transparency and user protection. It criticized "deceptive interface designs" that may discourage users from flagging harmful content. Additionally, both Meta and TikTok were accused of breaching data-sharing obligations by not providing sufficient access to public data for researchers, a key DSA requirement.
In a separate action, the Commission launched a probe into Google under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), focusing on whether its "site reputation abuse" policy unfairly disadvantages news publishers by limiting their revenue from third-party content. The investigation aims to ensure compliance with DMA rules that promote fair competition.
Meta spokesperson Ben Walters disputed the charges, stating, "We disagree with any suggestion that we have breached the DSA," while Google's chief scientist Pandu Nayak defended the policy as an anti-spam safeguard. If violations are confirmed, Meta and TikTok could face fines of up to 6% of annual global revenue, and Google up to 10%.
The cases highlight geopolitical tensions, with the US Trump administration criticizing EU regulations as "discriminatory" and potentially inflaming transatlantic relations. These enforcement actions underscore the EU's broader crackdown on Big Tech under the DSA and DMA, which came into force in 2024 to impose stricter standards on digital platforms.
