Ireland's Regulators Launch Investigations into TikTok and LinkedIn over DSA Violations
A growing list of tech giants has found itself on the wrong side of Irish regulators as Coimisiún na Meán, the country's media watchdog, has announced investigations into two major platforms: TikTok and LinkedIn. The probes are centered around the companies' reporting tools for illegal content, with concerns raised over their implementation and presentation.
Critics claim that both platforms' reporting features may be deceptive, leading users to believe they're reporting content as illegal when, in fact, it's merely a breach of terms and conditions. This raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness of these mechanisms, designed to combat online abuse while also protecting free speech.
According to John Evans, Coimisiún na Meán's DSA Commissioner, the Digital Services Act (DSA) relies on accurate reporting tools to enable users to identify and report suspicious content. The regulator emphasizes that providers must design their interfaces in a way that avoids deceiving or manipulating users, ensuring they can make informed decisions.
The investigations follow a pattern of tech companies making significant changes to their reporting mechanisms following warnings from Irish regulators. Failure to comply with the DSA can result in substantial fines – up to six percent of revenue – placing pressure on platforms to prioritize transparency and cooperation.
Meanwhile, another investigation is underway into social media platform X, which allegedly trained its AI assistant on user posts that would be a breach of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). If found guilty, Ireland could take a four percent cut of X's global revenue, highlighting the strict consequences faced by companies that disregard data protection laws.
A growing list of tech giants has found itself on the wrong side of Irish regulators as Coimisiún na Meán, the country's media watchdog, has announced investigations into two major platforms: TikTok and LinkedIn. The probes are centered around the companies' reporting tools for illegal content, with concerns raised over their implementation and presentation.
Critics claim that both platforms' reporting features may be deceptive, leading users to believe they're reporting content as illegal when, in fact, it's merely a breach of terms and conditions. This raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness of these mechanisms, designed to combat online abuse while also protecting free speech.
According to John Evans, Coimisiún na Meán's DSA Commissioner, the Digital Services Act (DSA) relies on accurate reporting tools to enable users to identify and report suspicious content. The regulator emphasizes that providers must design their interfaces in a way that avoids deceiving or manipulating users, ensuring they can make informed decisions.
The investigations follow a pattern of tech companies making significant changes to their reporting mechanisms following warnings from Irish regulators. Failure to comply with the DSA can result in substantial fines – up to six percent of revenue – placing pressure on platforms to prioritize transparency and cooperation.
Meanwhile, another investigation is underway into social media platform X, which allegedly trained its AI assistant on user posts that would be a breach of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). If found guilty, Ireland could take a four percent cut of X's global revenue, highlighting the strict consequences faced by companies that disregard data protection laws.
just think about it... we're living in a time where our online activities are being watched and regulated more than ever before. and yet, when it comes to reporting tools, it feels like a cat-and-mouse game between the platforms and regulators. how can we trust these tools if they might be designed to lead us astray? 
I'm all about transparency on social media platforms, and it sounds like Ireland is stepping up to ensure users aren't being misled into reporting stuff that isn't actually illegal 
. Like, can you imagine getting fined 6% of your revenue just for not having the right reporting tools? 
That's some serious pressure! 
. X's GDPR issue is pretty concerning too... like, who trains AI on personal data without proper consent? 
. Like, what's the point if they're just gonna change things up anyway? 
And I don't blame Ireland for being strict – they gotta protect their users from all that online drama 
. It's like, yeah, free speech is important, but not at the expense of actual safety 
. Can't have companies just manipulating users into reporting stuff that's not even a big deal 
. Fines should be steep, or else these companies will keep pushing the limits 
i mean, TikTok and LinkedIn have billions of users and they're not exactly doing anything shady... the whole "deceptive reporting tools" thing sounds like a major overreach to me 
i mean, i'm all for transparency and stuff, but come on... 
And what's with the 6% revenue fine? That's just enough to make me wanna upload some NSFW content and watch my account grow 
Ireland is like, totally on top of this DSA thing, and I'm here for it! 
X being investigated over GDPR? that's some next level stuff, bruh 
. But seriously, the fines are pretty steep - up to 6% of revenue? That's like, a lot of cash 
i mean, what's next? facebook gonna ask us if we want to report our friends' posts that might be slightly off-brand? 
no thanks. need some decent moderation tools in place, not just a bunch of fancy reporting features that are more PR than substance.
hope irish regulators bring the hammer down hard...
? It's not cool, guys. We need those reporting tools to be legit, or else they're just creating more problems than solutions 
.
. And as for X, train your AI with GDPR-friendly data, fam! 