The European Commission called on Meta and TikTok to take decisive action against online disinformation, holding talks with both platforms on Friday after false social media rumours that Ceuta's border was open helped trigger a mass migration surge last week.
European Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty Henna Virkkunen urged the companies to strengthen cooperation with fact-checkers and increase monitoring to preserve the integrity of the digital space. Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner described the episode as a test of the EU's border security and its resilience against disinformation, adding that the bloc must improve its ability to track online misinformation trends during crises.
An investigation by analytics firm Golden Owl concluded with a high degree of confidence that the migrant wave was a deliberately orchestrated operation. Spanish authorities said roughly 72,000 people entered Ceuta within 24 hours last week, with 70,000 since returning to Morocco, while at least 82 people died attempting to reach the enclave by sea.