Key facts
- Frontex will monitor publicly accessible social media content.
- The agency will establish an online monitoring and response center.
- Frontex will act as a trusted flagger under the EU's Digital Services Act.
The EU's border agency, Frontex, will be able to monitor social media for information about migration flows as part of a revamp by the European Commission. The agency's new capabilities aim to tackle illegal migration and strengthen its role in deporting individuals without legal right to remain in the EU. The move comes after social media platforms played a role in spreading information that contributed to the crisis in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in July. Frontex will establish an online monitoring and response center to detect developments relevant to external border management and support action against illegal online content linked to border security risks. The agency will also seek trusted flagger status under the Digital Services Act, a special designation that allows for faster action on illegal content flagged to online platforms.