The European Fee (EC) on Friday mentioned it wants extra data from Fb and Instagram dad or mum firm Meta to evaluate its compliance with relevant privateness and safety legal guidelines within the European Union (EU).

The EC, in a statement, mentioned Meta additionally wants to hurry up its responses to requests in December for data, which centered on election data, terrorism and the safety of minors. The corporate has till March 15 to supply that data, with the brand new data about Meta’s pay-to-opt-out-of-tracking program due March 22.

The  EC famous that, like all firms doing enterprise within the EU and topic to the Digital Providers Act, Meta could possibly be topic to hefty fines for offering incomplete data or lacking deadlines. European information safety authorities have levied heavy GDPR fines in opposition to a spread of companies, not simply social media giants.

“The current [request for information]  builds on Meta’s earlier replies and asks further data regarding the methodology underlying Meta’s danger evaluation and mitigation measures reviews, the safety of minors, elections and manipulated media,” the EC mentioned. “The RFI additionally requests Meta to supply data associated to the apply of so-called shadow banning and the launch of Threads.”

The Digital Providers Act was accredited in April 2022. It governs how web firms should handle person information, how they’re allowed to make use of that information to focus on promoting, and steps they have to take to police illicit or misleading content material.

“It is going to be sure that the web atmosphere stays a protected house, safeguarding freedom of expression and alternatives for digital companies,” EC president Ursula von der Leyen mentioned in a press release on the time.

The newest request for data aimed toward Meta comes a day after eight client safety watchdog teams within the EU filed complaints in opposition to the corporate for its opaque information assortment and processing insurance policies. The complaints, filed with nationwide information safety authorities, accuse Meta of violating the GDPR, abusing its dominant market place to misuse buyer data, and making merely superficial modifications to its privateness coverage as an alternative of truly complying with the legislation.

European authorities have lengthy had Meta of their sights, having fined the corporate greater than $2 billion because the GDPR took impact in 2018.