EU Demands Transparency from YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok

The European Commission has increased its scrutiny of major tech platforms, including YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok, under the new Digital Services Act (DSA). The companies have been asked to provide detailed explanations of how their content recommendation algorithms function, as part of a broader effort to promote transparency and manage risks associated with harmful content.

The requests aim to ensure these platforms are mitigating the spread of illegal content, such as hate speech and drug-related material, while also addressing concerns about the influence of algorithms on elections, civil discourse, and the well-being of minors.

YouTube and Snapchat must clarify how their algorithms manage “rabbit holes,” where users are recommended increasingly extreme content. Meanwhile, TikTok is being asked to outline its policies to prevent coordinated inauthentic behavior, such as efforts to influence elections or manipulate public debates.

The platforms have until November 15 to respond. Their cooperation will determine whether they comply with the DSA’s strict transparency rules for platforms with over 45 million monthly users. Non-compliance could lead to substantial penalties.