Rabat – The European Union has called on Meta and TikTok to strengthen their monitoring of social media platforms and cooperation with fact-checkers following the mass migration crisis in occupied Ceuta.
The call came after a false claim that the border between Morocco and Ceuta was open spread rapidly online ahead of the arrival of thousands of migrants.
European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said the Commission had discussed the issue with representatives of Meta and TikTok on Friday.
“Platforms must act decisively to protect the integrity of the digital space, especially during crises,” Virkkunen said in a post on X. She called for stronger monitoring and closer cooperation with fact-checkers, adding that the EU would follow up on the issue Monday.
Disinformation under scrutiny
The spread of the border rumor has raised questions over whether online disinformation contributed to the sudden movement toward Ceuta.
EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner described the episode as a test for the bloc’s border security and its ability to withstand disinformation.
Brunner said the crossings had been fueled by criminal smuggling networks as well as disinformation. He cautioned, however, that it was too early to determine who may have been behind the online activity.
He said the EU needed to improve its ability to track disinformation trends on social media and work more closely with Europol and other EU agencies.
The Ceuta episode has also become a political flashpoint, with right-wing and far-right voices using the crisis to argue that Europe is facing uncontrolled migration. It has also contributed to tensions between Spain and Italy over migration policy.
