Eko has reported its findings to the European Commission, which is scrutinizing Meta and X for compliance with DSA requirements, including risk assessments to protect democracy and public safety.

Civil society research indicates that the DSA has not adequately protected Germany's democratic process from technology-related threats, calling for stronger regulatory actions to prevent the spread of hateful content during elections.

Specific examples of the approved ads include Meta's depiction of Muslim refugees as 'viruses' and calls for burning synagogues, while X's ads claimed that immigrants are 'flooding' the country to steal democracy.

Both platforms are currently under investigation by the EU Commission for their handling of political ads and election security, with potential penalties for confirmed breaches reaching up to 6% of their global annual turnover.

Advertisers are increasingly worried about reputational risks linked to platforms that allow extremist content, seeking assurances for ad placements in safer environments.

Legal experts argue that Meta and X have not sufficiently addressed the risks associated with extremist content, potentially breaching the DSA and German hate speech laws.

Concerns have been raised that Meta's moderation policies are regressing, contradicting the objectives of the DSA, while investigations into both platforms' practices remain ongoing.

Eko's findings highlighted significant issues with the moderation processes of both platforms, particularly noting that X lacks a moderation system for ads, leading to rapid approvals.

The European Commission has recently updated the Code integrated into the Digital Services Act (DSA), mandating platforms to proactively combat hate speech and block access to harmful content.

Ahead of Germany's federal elections on February 23, 2025, research by Eko has revealed that Meta and X approved ads containing violent anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish hate speech.

These ads featured blatant hate speech, including calls for violence against Jews and immigrants, which directly violate both platforms' policies against hate speech and incitement to violence.

This situation raises concerns about the platforms profiting from the distribution of violent hate speech, as both Meta and X appear to be ineffective in enforcing their own hate speech policies.