Leading social media companies have been asked by the European Commission to undertake a test, which will determine their efforts in countering disinformation ahead of the federal election in Germany, according to reports.
A European Union (EU) spokesperson made the announcement on Friday.
Facebook and X are not the only social media platforms that will take part in the test related to the German elections, which are set to take place next month. Microsoft, LinkedIn, Google, and Snap will be tested as well.
The Commission’s “stress test”, scheduled for January 31, will examine whether these platforms have adequate measures in place to combat electoral mis-and-disinformation. The given test is a requirement under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
“The stress test is really going through potential scenarios where DSA comes into play and to check with platforms how they would react to these specific scenarios,” an EU spokesperson said.
The DSA calls for stricter measures when it comes to online harms, especially mis-and-disinformation and threats to child safety.
The test will be held in privacy.
