Meta and TikTok agree to fact-check content on Spain border crossings after deadly rush

BRUSSELS, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Social networks Meta and TikTok have agreed to fact-check content on border crossings into Spain following the massive rush to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, European Union tech chief Henna Virkkunen said.

The purpose is to prevent criminal networks from enticing potential migrants to attempt to cross with false information, which has led to tragic deaths, she said in a post on X late on Monday.

• More than 70,000 would-be migrants flooded into Ceuta on July 30 in a surge that left nearly 100 dead.
• Would-be migrants were encouraged by a handful of viral videos, including some posted by a Spanish news outlet intended to highlight the burden of migration pressures.
• Meta and TikTok agreed with the EU to set up an "ad-hoc escalation and cooperation mechanism with fact-checkers" as part of crisis protocols, according to the post.
• The platforms have also committed to prohibit content related to people smuggling, a Commission spokesperson added on Tuesday.
• The spokesperson told reporters the platforms act to block or deprioritise content on a voluntary basis — the European Commission does not force them to remove any content, but opens a dialogue with them so they act responsibly.
• The Commission and pan-European police force Europol are discussing the situation with the two companies every day, Virkkunen's post said.
• Virkkunen also spoke to Oscar Lopez, the Spanish minister for digital economy, on how to prevent border crossings and the loss of lives.
• Ceuta and Melilla have the EU's only land borders with Africa and both cities periodically experience surges in attempted crossings by migrants seeking to reach Europe.