4 days ago
Dutch authorities to meet social media giants ahead of October elections
The Netherlands' competition regulator will meet 12 major online platforms — including TikTok, Facebook and X — on 15 September to discuss disinformation in the run-up to the 29 October elections.
The Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), which enforces the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) in the Netherlands and is mandated to monitor elections under the DSA, said the roundtable will also involve the European Commission, other national regulators, and NGOs. The Dutch snap vote was called after the government collapsed in June over migration policies, less than a year after taking office.
Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) under the DSA "must implement transparent and diligent policies regarding the content on their platforms and take effective measures against illegal content," said ACM director Manon Leijten in a statement on Wednesday.
Under the Commission's DSA guidelines on electoral processes, national digital services coordinators such as the ACM can hold pre-election roundtables with major online platforms to evaluate their strategies for mitigating systemic risks.
Prior to this announcement, the Dutch authorities had sent a letter to the platforms on 21 July, outlining their DSA obligations and requesting relevant contacts within their Trust and Safety policy teams. The letter also asked the platforms to complete a questionnaire on how they planned to safeguard public debate before the elections. The ACM said the September meeting would provide a "clear picture" of how the platforms planned to prevent DSA violations, such as illegal hate speech, foreign interference, and disinformation.
After Romania's December 2024 presidential election was annulled by the country's top courts, the European Commission opened a DSA investigation into TikTok. The Commission also expanded an ongoing probe into X before Germany's February 2025 vote. Similar roundtables were organised ahead of those elections.
However, neither investigation has yet been closed.
(de)
