We don't censor social media, EU responds to Meta.

The European Commission responded to Mark Zuckerberg’s claim on Wednesday that European Union data laws censored social media, stating that these laws only require large platforms to remove illegal content, not lawful content.

Zuckerberg had criticised the EU, claiming that its increasing number of laws stifled innovation. He argued that Europe was making it difficult to build anything new due to what he termed "institutionalised censorship."

In response, a Commission spokesperson firmly rejected these claims, asserting that the Digital Services Act does not mandate the removal of lawful content. Instead, it targets content that could be harmful, such as material detrimental to children or EU democracies.

Meta recently ended its U.S. fact-checking programs, with Zuckerberg announcing the shift to a "community notes" system, similar to X’s model, where users can flag misleading posts. This system relies on contributors from diverse viewpoints to rate the notes as helpful.

The European Commission noted that for such a system to be implemented in the EU, Meta would need to conduct a risk assessment and submit it for review. The EU clarified that while it doesn't dictate specific moderation models, it expects platforms to ensure the effectiveness of their content moderation measures, particularly in the EU market.