Ireland Opens TikTok And LinkedIn Investigations Regarding Illegal Content Reporting

Illustration (photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Ireland's digital service authority, Coimisimichin na Me Way, officially opened two investigations into the European Union's TikTok and LinkedIn platforms regarding alleged violations of the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) Act.

Pada September 2024, pengawas CoIMisimichun na Me Way menguji kepatuhan berbagai penyedia layanan online terhadap Pasal 16yang memperluas adanya mekanisme Note dan Action bagi pengguna untuk melaporkan dugaan konten ilegal.

In the study, it was alleged that TikTok and LinkedIn used an interface design that could potentially confuse or mislead users (dark pants).

This allegation includes the possibility that users are directed to report violations against platform policies, instead of reporting truly illegal content.

If proven, the reporting mechanism is deemed ineffective in preventing the spread of prohibited content and can weaken user rights under DSA.

"The heart of DSA is the right of people to report content they suspect is illegal, and the requirement for providers to have a reporting mechanism, which is easily accessible and user-friendly, to report content deemed illegal," said Commissioner for Digital Services at Coinmission

And on that basis, he asserted that platform providers should be obliged not to design, regulate, or operate their interface in a way that can deceive or manipulate people.

"In the case of these two platforms, there is a reason to suspect that their mechanism for reporting illegal content is not easily accessible or user-friendly, it does not allow people to report child sexual harassment material anonymously, as required by DSA," he explained.

If an investigation finds a violation, TikTok or LinkedIn could be subject to administrative sanctions in the form of fines of up to 6% of global turnover.

Comissionsmen's na Megar juga membuka kemungkinan langkah regulasi lanjutan terhadap platform lain yang sedang dievaluasi kepatuhannya terhadap Pasal 16 dan 25 DSA.