Political Interference: Meta Ordered to Pay Damages to Conservative MEP in Landmark Censorship Case

Meta, the parent company of left-wing-controlled Facebook and Instagram, has been ordered to pay €27,000 in damages to MEP Tom Vandendriessche of the Vlaams Belang party. The Antwerp Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Vandendriessche, condemning Meta for covertly banning the conservative parliamentarian from Facebook without sufficient justification.

The controversy began on February 19, 2021, when Meta imposed a “shadow ban” on Vandendriessche, significantly limiting the visibility and reach of his Facebook page. By May 2021, his account had been fully blocked. Meta justified these actions by accusing Vandendriessche of regularly posting content that violated Facebook’s terms and conditions, particularly regarding incitement to hatred. Among the contested posts were eight messages, one of which depicted a Nazi book burning.

Meta claimed that all restrictions on Vandendriessche’s account had been lifted by the end of 2021. However, Vandendriessche contested this claim, pointing to a noticeable decline in the average reach of his Facebook page, suggesting that the shadow ban was still in effect. The Bruges Court of First Instance initially dismissed the case, stating that Belgian courts did not have jurisdiction. Vandendriessche then appealed the decision.

The Ghent Court of Appeal found significant shortcomings in Meta’s actions. It criticized the company for failing to provide clear criteria for the number of violations necessary to enforce a shadow ban and for lacking concrete evidence, particularly concerning the alleged book-burning post. The court concluded that Meta had not “acted in accordance with the principle of good faith execution of agreements” and had failed to offer “sufficient procedural guarantees” to users subjected to such measures.

The €27,000 in damages awarded to Vandendriessche reflects the costs he incurred from being banned from accessing his Facebook page. This ruling highlights the ongoing tension between conservative political figures and major social media platforms, which have politicized their platforms and restricted the speech of their opponents.

This decision marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over social media censorship, particularly regarding the actions of left-wing tech giants against right-wing political figures. As social media continues to play a crucial role in political discourse, the case of Tom Vandendriessche versus Meta will likely serve as a precedent for future disputes over platform moderation practices and their impacts on political expression.