Brussels, Belgium, on May 21, 2022, saw the official opening of the European Union flag in front of the Berlaymont building, marking the official start of the EU’s new European Digital Media Observatory (EDM). Over the past year, a report published by the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) has revealed significant gaps in the transparency and fulfillment of EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), particularly regarding disinformation efforts by major European technology companies. The report highlights a critical issue: while platforms like Meta, Google, Microsoft, and TikTok have implemented several initiatives aimed at counter-radicalization and digital inclusion, their adherence to the DSA and Code of Practice on Disinformation (CoP) faces significant barriers.
The report, which sequentially reviews transparency reports submitted by these companies last year, along with independent verification by EDMO researchers and qualitative insights from a survey with expert participants, concludes that there is a clear “gap” between platforms’ commitments under the CoP and their actual implementation of the legislation. EDMO researcher Stere Goldbr WAV noted that most large technology firms (VLOPSE, or Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines) tend to adopt a reactive rather than proactive stance, with little transparency or structured support for users, fact-checkers, and researchers. This contradicts the DSA’s commitment to fostering user trust and accountability in digital contexts.
The report further observes that even when formal agreements exist under the DSA, their implementation often falls short of expectations. These findings underscore the need for coherent and collaborative efforts across all major European technology companies to ensure their full alignment with the DSA’s objectives. The EDMO has made clear that current efforts rarely translate into tangible long-term, systemic support for counter-disinformation strategies, limiting their potential impact on societal well-being.
With a focus on digital inclusion and counter-radicalization efforts, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and TikTok have implemented various initiatives to address disinformation and misinformation. However, the report reveals significant gaps in transparency and accountability for these efforts. For instance, Meta’s initiatives, such as We Think Digital and in-app prompts, lack transparency in terms of their geographical scope and lack of measurable data on user engagement or outcomes at the national level. Similarly, while Google provides prebunking initiatives, these efforts remain largely unaccountable, as the company denies any concrete data on user reach or effectiveness.
Microsoft, on the other hand, partners with services like NewsGuard, but the report indicates that these efforts lack sufficient evidence of reach or effectiveness. There are no user engagement figures, no reported outcomes, and no indication of the actual scale of these efforts. Google, meanwhile, has prebunking initiatives and features such as “More About This Page,” which remain largely unaccountable in terms of providing country-specific detail or consistent engagement data. TikTok, as a smaller player, has shown some improvement with a broader range of national campaigns and fact-checking partnerships. However, it still fails to deliver detailed, country-specific engagement data or consistent evidence on governance or transparency.
Governance for sensitive data access, as another key point of the research, is deemed a weak point for all these platforms. Platforms like Meta, Microsoft, and Google reference pilot programs but do not provide any substantive documentation on governance frameworks or outcomes. Meanwhile, while TikTok is taking part in a EDMO data access pilot, it does not provide conclusive evidence as to the effectiveness or transparency of these efforts. For example, Meta, Microsoft, and Google have extensive transparency reports submitted, but of limited value. Meta, like all the other companies, lists numerous activities and partnerships but lacks a systematic evaluation of their impact, making it difficult to gauge their real-world effectiveness.
The report concludes that all major European technology companies deserve a “reforms” by the EU to achieve the best possible outcomes for citizens. While Google and TikTok have demonstrated more structured approaches in certain areas, none have provided full transparency, independent verification, and robust impact reporting. Meta’s efforts are undermined by poor disclosure and the absence of meaningful impact data. While Microsoft’s performance is particularly weak across all commitments, the result should be considered in connection with the specific risk-profile of its services.
The implications of this report are significant for the EU’s digital services law and the broader digital age. By failing to meet the DSA’s requirements, at least some of these companies are creating a narrative of transparency and accountability that must be strengthened. This is not so much about Meta or Google as it is about putting the public at the center of their initiatives to achieve better outcomes through transparency and accountability. The EU has already taken important steps toward this goal, but further reforms are needed to ensure that all technology companies align their efforts with the DSA’s broader objectives. Only through this alignment can citizens be held accountable for their contributions to the digital space, ultimately fostering a more truthful and ethical community.