Meta Platforms Inc. and TikTok Inc. Fact-Check Spain Border Content

European Union tech chief Henna Virkkunen announced Monday that Meta Platforms Inc. and TikTok Inc. will implement fact-checking for content regarding border crossings into Spain. The agreement establishes an ad-hoc escalation and cooperation mechanism with fact-checkers as part of crisis protocols to stop criminal networks from using false information to entice migrants.

This initiative follows a mass rush on July 30, when over 70,000 migrants attempted to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. The surge, which was fueled by viral videos including some from a Spanish news outlet, resulted in nearly 100 deaths.

The European Commission and Europol are now maintaining daily discussions with the social media companies to mitigate further loss of life at the EU's land borders with Africa. Spanish minister for digital economy Oscar Lopez consulted with the EU to coordinate these preventative measures.