Civil society files DSA complaint against Meta for toxic, profiling-fueled feeds
Civil society organisations Bits of Freedom, Convocation Design + Research, European Digital Rights (EDRi), and Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF) are filing a complaint against Meta for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Meta’s toxic, profiling-based feed violates the DSA
Today, Bits of Freedom, EDRi, Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte, and Convocation Design + Research are filing a complaint under the Digital Services Act (DSA) against Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram. According to the complaint, Meta violates the DSA’s user protections by not offering easily accessible news feed options on its platforms that are not based on profiling of users.
This alternative news feed must be directly and easily accessible for users.
“Empowering users to control their news feeds is a key component of the DSA’s protections against toxic, profit-driven content recommendation systems of the type that Meta deploys. Hiding news feed controls from users and regularly undoing settings made by users that wish to avoid toxic content being algorithmically pushed onto their screens is a blatant breach of the DSA.”
The obligation set out in the DSA is meant to enable people to protect themselves against Meta’s sensationalist and toxic content algorithms. By using deceptive interface designs, Meta makes it unnecessarily difficult for people to choose and keep a content feed that is not based on profiling.
“Recommendation systems largely determine how much time we spend with which content on social media. They have a significant impact on our lives and mental well-being. Meta makes it extremely difficult for users to choose an alternative feed and take control over their own online experience.”
Those algorithms are one of the company’s main profit drivers. Its profiling-based feed more effectively captures users’ attention and maximises their time spent on the platform. More time on the platform means more advertisements shown, which directly increases Meta’s revenue. The company, therefore, has a clear financial incentive to keep users on the profiling-based feed, even against their will.
The organisations are filing this complaint in Ireland on behalf of an Irish Facebook and Instagram user. The competent regulatory authority is Ireland’s Media Commission, as Meta is headquartered in Ireland.
Europe must back its legal acquis and protect our civil rights
In the current political climate, where tech billionaires collude with authoritarian politicians to roll back civil rights and even destroy democracy itself, it is crucial for Europe to stand up for those rights and protect its legal acquis, including in the area of technology regulation.
The complainants encourage the Digital Services Coordinator in Ireland to swiftly act and hold Meta accountable. The company must make substantial changes to their products in order to comply with its obligations under the law and enable its users to better control their social media feeds.
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Jan Penfrat (He/Him)
Senior Policy Advisor
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