EU sends information request to 17 tech firms including Amazon, Apple, Meta

The European Commission said on Thursday it had send requests for information under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) to 17 tech companies that it regards as very large online platforms (VLOP) and search engines.

It said it contacted AliExpress, Amazon's Amazon Store, Apple's AppStore, Booking.com, Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Alphabet's Google Search, Google Play, Google Maps and Google Shopping, Microsoft's LinkedIn and Bing, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and Zalando.

The EU asked the companies to provide more information by February 9 on measures they have taken to give researchers access to data that could be relevant to the upcoming EU and national elections as well as countering illegal content and goods sold online.

The DSA came into force in November last year and requires very large online platforms and search engines to do more to tackle illegal content and risks to public security.

The Commission opened its first probe under the DSA in December 2023 into social media company X over suspected breaches of its obligations.

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; editing by Jason Neely)