BRUSSELS—For the European far right, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg’s crusade against perceived European Union “censorship” is a welcome gift.

The European Commission rejected on Wednesday Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg's assertion that European Union data laws censored social media and said they only required large platforms to remove illegal content.

To researchers who have studied moderation efforts and platforms, it’s the most recent move toward a more freewheeling and unbridled social media environment.

Even before Meta dropped fact-checkers, it could be hard to know what to believe on social media. Parents can help kids sort through posts to learn what’s true.