Meta, TikTok agree to EU fact-checking pact after Ceuta border tragedy
Meta and TikTok will fact-check Spain border content after a deadly Ceuta crossing rush left nearly 100 dead.
The European Union has secured a commitment from Meta and TikTok to fact-check content related to border crossings into Spain, following a deadly mass attempt to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in late July.
EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen announced the agreement on Monday, saying the goal is to stop criminal networks from using false information to lure potential migrants into dangerous journeys. The misinformation has contributed to tragic loss of life, she noted.
Under the arrangement, the two platforms will activate an "ad-hoc escalation and cooperation mechanism with fact-checkers" as part of their crisis response protocols. The European Commission and Europol, the pan-European police agency, are in daily contact with the companies to monitor the situation.
Virkkunen also held discussions with Oscar Lopez, Spain's minister for digital economy, on preventing border crossings and saving lives.
The agreement comes after more than 70,000 would-be migrants rushed into Ceuta on July 30, an incident that left nearly 100 people dead. The surge was fueled in part by a handful of viral videos, including some posted by a Spanish news outlet that were intended to highlight migration pressures but instead encouraged attempts.
Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's two North African enclaves, are the EU's only land borders with Africa. Both cities periodically experience spikes in attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe.