Social media and German election – level 3

28-01-2025 15:00

The European Commission is testing social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and X to see if they are ready to handle disinformation before the upcoming German election.

The test, scheduled for January 31, will assess whether these companies have the safeguards required by the Digital Services Act (DSA). Platforms including Microsoft, LinkedIn, Google, Snap, and Meta were invited, with TikTok confirming its attendance.

This stress test involves evaluating how the companies would respond to possible scenarios where the DSA rules apply. Senior compliance officers and experts responsible for following the DSA will participate. The EU held a similar test last year for the European Parliament elections, which was considered successful. Now, they aim to work closely with German authorities to ensure platforms are prepared for risks during this national election.

Difficult words: disinformation (false information spread to mislead people), safeguards (protections to keep something safe), stress test (a test designed to assess how well a system functions when subjected to greater than normal amounts of stress or pressure).

You can watch the video news lower on this page.

Which social media platforms are being tested by the European Commission for their readiness to handle disinformation before the upcoming German election?

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