EU tells Meta, TikTok to boost monitoring after Ceuta surge

The European Union's technology chief has called on Meta and TikTok to "act decisively" to stem disinformation during times of crisis, following last week's surge of migrants into Spain's Ceuta enclave that has triggered a rare border dispute between Madrid and Rome. The European Commission held talks with both platforms on Friday, according to The Local Italy, urging them to boost monitoring and fact-checking capacities.

The request comes as the Ceuta episode has escalated into an ideological clash between Spain and Italy over migration policy, with both countries imposing temporary border checks on travellers from the other. The dispute has exposed the fragility of Europe's free-travel area, as Politico Europe reported, with passport queues returning to airports and ports across the continent.

For the Estero desk, the EU's intervention underscores a central tension: the same digital platforms that amplify political messaging on migration are now being asked to police the information environment during a crisis that has already disrupted the Schengen area's core promise of frictionless movement.