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The French foreign ministry voiced its “concern” on Wednesday in response to Meta’s decision to cease its fact-checking operations in the United States for Facebook and Instagram. The ministry emphasized that it would remain “vigilant” in overseeing the tech giant’s compliance with European legal standards, signaling its commitment to holding Meta accountable to the regulations governing its platforms in Europe.
“Freedom of expression, a fundamental right protected in France and Europe, cannot be conflated with a right to spread viral content that reaches millions of users without filter or moderation,” a ministry spokesman said in a statement.
“France will remain vigilant to ensure that Meta and other platforms respect their obligations under European laws, in particular the Digital Services Act,” the spokesman said.
He argued that the Digital Services Act (DSA), which became operational in March 2024, is indispensable to the EU’s democratic function. As he sees it, the law is vital for protecting citizens against external manipulation and ensuring the free flow of accurate information, thus safeguarding the core democratic principles of the European Union.
Meta took an abrupt step on Tuesday, reducing its content moderation operations in the U.S. and discontinuing its fact-checking program on Facebook and Instagram. This decision seems to be in line with the agenda of incoming president Donald Trump, aligning the company’s approach with his administration’s priorities on digital information regulation.
Earlier on Wednesday, a French government official disclosed that Meta is looking into how its decision to suspend fact-checking on its platforms might be interpreted under EU law. The company is reportedly investigating whether such a move could conflict with the European Union’s regulatory framework for tech companies operating within its jurisdiction.
Junior minister for digital technologies Clara Chappaz told AFP that the study aimed to “understand what the impact on users will be and to ensure that moderation remains at a high standard”.
AFP currently works in 26 languages with Facebook’s fact checking programme, in which Facebook pays to use fact checks from around 80 organisations globally on the platform as well as on WhatsApp and on Instagram.
