According to engadget, Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, has announced formal investigations into both TikTok and LinkedIn for potential violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act. The probes, reported by Reuters, specifically target the platforms’ content reporting tools, which regulators suspect may not meet the DSA’s requirements. Officials found possible “deceptive interface designs” that could confuse users into thinking they’re reporting illegal content when they’re actually just flagging a terms-of-service violation. John Evans, the DSA Commissioner for Coimisiún na Meán, emphasized the legal right to report illegal content easily. If found in violation, the companies face potential fines of up to six percent of their global revenue. This action follows a separate Irish investigation into X for allegedly training its Grok AI on user posts, which could lead to a four percent revenue fine under GDPR rules.
The core issue is confusion
Here’s the thing: this isn’t about the platforms having no reporting tools. It’s about whether those tools are designed in a way that, intentionally or not, steers users away from the specific, legally-mandated path for reporting illegal content. The regulator’s statement suggests the interface might blur the line between reporting something that’s against the platform’s own rules (like spam or nudity) and reporting something that’s against the law (like hate speech or incitement to violence). That’s a huge distinction with major legal ramifications. A confusing flow means fewer legitimate illegal content reports, which in turn means the platforms might not be acting on that content as the DSA requires them to. Basically, it could be a clever way to keep “reported content” metrics low.
Ireland is flexing its muscle
This is a significant moment. For years, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission was the lead GDPR watchdog for much of Big Tech due to their EU headquarters being in Dublin. That relationship was often criticized as too cozy, with investigations moving at a glacial pace. Now, with the DSA, Coimisiún na Meán has a powerful new toolkit and seems eager to use it. They’ve already strong-armed other, unnamed providers into changing their reporting systems. The message is clear: the “light-touch” era is over. With the threat of a 6% global revenue fine hanging over TikTok and LinkedIn, compliance suddenly becomes a top-tier engineering and design priority. And let’s be real—that fine is a number that gets the C-suite’s attention immediately.
A broader crackdown on dark patterns
Look, this investigation goes beyond just “report” buttons. It’s a direct shot across the bow at deceptive design or “dark patterns” in general. The DSA explicitly bans interfaces that “deceive or manipulate” users or impair their ability to make informed decisions. That’s a broad mandate. Could this lead to scrutiny over confusing privacy settings, manipulative subscription cancelation flows, or addictive infinite scrolls? Probably. The EU is drawing a line in the sand, using content reporting as the first test case. If they win here, it establishes a precedent that could reshape all sorts of user interactions. The goal isn’t just functional reporting; it’s transparent and user-empowering design. That’s a philosophical shift many tech giants have resisted for a decade.
What happens next?
So what’s the trajectory? We’ll likely see TikTok and LinkedIn engage in a rapid dialogue with Irish regulators, promising swift UI/UX changes to avoid a formal finding of non-compliance. A full-blown fine isn’t the immediate goal for the regulator; behavioral change is. But the stakes are now undeniably high. Every other major platform under Ireland’s jurisdiction—Meta, Google, Apple—will be auditing their own reporting flows right now. This also signals more coordinated action across the EU. It’s not just about one country anymore. We’re seeing the DSA’s enforcement mechanism wake up, and it’s starting with the most fundamental user safety feature there is: the “report” button. The next few months will show just how serious Europe is about making these rules stick.
