Meta, TikTok to Fact-Check Spain Border Crossing Content

Meta and TikTok have agreed to work with fact-checkers to identify and address content related to border crossings into Spain following a massive rush into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, European Union tech chief Henna Virkkunen said.

The agreement is intended to prevent criminal networks from encouraging potential migrants to attempt crossings using false information, which Virkkunen said had contributed to tragic deaths.

More than 70,000 would-be migrants flooded into Ceuta on July 30 in a surge that left nearly 100 people dead, according to the information provided by EU officials.

The crossings were encouraged by a handful of viral videos, including some posted by a Spanish news outlet that had intended to highlight the pressures created by migration.

Platforms Agree to Crisis Fact-Checking Mechanism

Meta and TikTok agreed with the European Union to establish an “ad-hoc escalation and cooperation mechanism with fact-checkers” under crisis protocols, Virkkunen said in a post on X late Monday.

The platforms have also committed to prohibiting content related to people smuggling, a European Commission spokesperson said Tuesday.

The spokesperson said the platforms voluntarily block or deprioritize such content. The European Commission does not force them to remove content but instead opens a dialogue with the companies to encourage responsible action.

The European Commission and Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, are discussing the situation with Meta and TikTok every day, according to Virkkunen.

Virkkunen also spoke with Oscar Lopez, Spain’s minister for digital economy, about measures to prevent border crossings and further loss of life.

Ceuta and Melilla Face Periodic Migration Surges

Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish enclaves in North Africa, have the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.

Both territories periodically experience surges in attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe.