The European Commission is initiating an investigation into Meta Platforms for potential deceptive advertising and the handling of political content, with a focus on Russian disinformation.

EU concerns include Meta's content moderation inefficacy, particularly with upcoming elections across various nations, and the planned shutdown of CrowdTangle, a tool vital for researchers and fact-checkers.

Meta is simultaneously under scrutiny for its ad-free subscription service, which could also breach the Digital Services Act.

Potential consequences for Meta's violations include substantial fines under Europe's Digital Services Act.

Despite these regulatory issues, market analysts remain optimistic about the future performance of META stock.

Meta Platforms has announced its intention to work collaboratively with the European Commission's investigation.

The probe underscores the broader international challenge of combating disinformation and protecting democratic processes and social harmony online.