Media regulators are urgently calling on the Meta company to provide transparency information on Facebook. The director of the Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein Media Authority (MA HSH), Eva-Maria Sommer, told the German Press Agency: “We made the decision clearly because there is no longer any transparency information on Facebook in accordance with the State Media Treaty.” Meta said that the media regulators’ demands were being examined. In the State Media Treaty, the federal states have set transparency rules on internet platforms with a view to ensuring diversity of opinion. Platform providers must therefore make it clear which criteria they use to select and present content and what the weighting looks like.
Meta removed transparency information
According to media regulators, who, among other things, oversee compliance with transparency rules on portals and search engines, Meta is said to have removed transparency information from its offers. The background to the case is the question of which legal basis applies – a European regulation (Digital Services Act, DSA) or state law with the media treaty. The case could end up in court.
“We have an urgent need for clarification”
Media regulator Sommer told the dpa that transparency information is a central element in the regulation of platforms. “We urgently need to clarify whether the State Media Treaty with these elementary regulations continues to be valid or not.” It is not the only urgent procedure that German media regulators have initiated. According to the director of the Berlin-Brandenburg Media Authority (MABB), Eva Flecken, there are also transparency demands on the music streaming service Spotify. Flecken, who is currently also chairwoman of the media authorities, said: “Here we have found that the information you provide does not meet the requirements of the State Media Treaty.” However, the case is a little different because transparency information can still be found on the site. (With material from dpa.)
