EU pressures Meta and TikTok over Ceuta disinformation

The European Union's technology chief has called on Meta and TikTok to "act decisively" to stem disinformation at times of crisis, saying the European Commission held talks with both platforms on Friday following last week's Ceuta migrant surge, according to The Local Italy.

The request from Brussels comes as Italy and Spain remain locked in a rare dispute over migration, with both countries imposing temporary border checks on travellers from the other. The row erupted after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, an influx that prompted Rome to introduce its own controls.

The EU's intervention signals growing concern in Brussels that the migration crisis is being amplified by the spread of false information online, a dynamic that European officials have warned could inflame public opinion and complicate efforts to reach a common migration policy.

The talks with Meta and TikTok are part of a broader push by the Commission to enforce the Digital Services Act, the bloc's landmark online safety regulation that requires large platforms to assess and mitigate risks related to disinformation. The Local Italy reported that the Commission expects platforms to cooperate closely with national authorities and civil society groups during crisis situations.

The Ceuta surge, which the BBC reported involved about 78,000 migrants entering the enclave before most later returned, has become a flashpoint in the ideological battle between Spain's left-leaning government and Italy's hard-right coalition under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Politico Europe described the clash as exposing the fragility of Europe's free-travel area, with passport queues now a visible consequence of the dispute.

For Rome, the EU's pressure on tech platforms carries particular weight. Italy's government has been a vocal critic of what it sees as insufficient action by tech companies to combat illegal content, and the Commission's move may test the willingness of Meloni's administration to align with Brussels on digital policy even as it clashes with Spain over migration.

The Commission's call also arrives amid a wider European debate about the role of social media in shaping public perceptions of migration, a theme that has gained urgency as the continent experiences record summer heat and multiple crises simultaneously. The outcome of the talks could set a precedent for how the EU holds platforms accountable during future emergencies, with implications that extend well beyond the current Ceuta row.