Malicious semi-compliance as the platform approach to EU regulation

This EU DisinfoLab report examines how large platforms, particularly Meta and Google, create the appearance of compliance with the Digital Services Act while resisting its underlying intent, a pattern the authors term "malicious semi-compliance." The analysis is structured around case studies comparing what DSA rules require, what platforms actually implemented, and the resulting consequences.

Examples cited include Instagram's non-profiling feed option on Android, which requires navigating multiple menus and reverts to a personalized feed each time the app reopens; a 2024 Meta risk assessment that failed to flag a design feature later ruled non-compliant by a Dutch court; European Commission findings that Facebook and Instagram impose unnecessary extra steps for reporting illegal content such as child sexual abuse material; and Google's removal of its pre-existing EU political ad archive following new transparency obligations.

The report concludes that enforcement remains achievable but demands substantial civil society resources, that misclassifying illegal content as mere terms-of-service violations obscures true moderation statistics, and that DSA enforcement must ensure compliance costs exceed those of non-compliance.