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EU To Investigate Musks X For Potential Hamas-Israel Conflict Disinfo
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Brussels, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 13th Oct, 2023) The European Commission said on Thursday it is opening an investigation into Elon Musk‘s social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to determine if it has allowed the spread of disinformation about the conflict in the middle East.
The Commission said it had sent a formal request for information to X in what is a first procedure launched under Brussels‘ new European Digital Services Act (DSA). It comes two days after it fired off a warning letter from internal market Commissioner Thierry Breton.
In a statement, the Commission said it was responding to “indications received concerning the presumed transmission of illicit content.”
Its demand for clarification comprises a 40-page document with a raft of specific questions.
Twitter has until October 18 to respond, with a deadline of October 31 for less urgent aspects of the demand for information.
Breton, the Commission’s self-styled “digital enforcer,” told AFP that Thursday’s move is about “protecting our citizens and democracies in offering users a safe environment and reliable sources of information — including in times of crisis.”
X has defended itself against earlier claims from the European Union that it is failing to tackle disinformation around the Gaza-Israel conflict as Brussels investigates.
The firm’s CEO Linda Yaccarino wrote that the platform, formerly Twitter, had “taken action to remove or label tens of thousands of pieces of content” and removed hundreds of accounts linked to Gaza militant organisation Hamas, which attacked Israel on Saturday.
She addressed the letter, dated Wednesday, to Breton, who traded barbs with Musk on social media after accusing the platform of allowing “violent and terrorist content” to circulate.
Breton has sent similar letters of alarm to Mark Zuckerberg, boss of Facebook parent Meta, and on Thursday to TikTok and its CEO Shou Zi Chew.
In each case, Breton gave the platforms 24 hours to get back to him with details of what they are doing to crack down on “illegal content and disinformation” reportedly circulating in posts.
Breton stressed that the large online platforms are now subject to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), legislation that came in two months ago that requires them to crack down on content deemed illegal under EU law or laws of individual EU countries.
Violations of the DSA can be met with mandatory remedial measures to halt such content, or fines that could go up to six percent of a company‘s global turnover, or potentially even steps to ban offending platforms from Europe.
Breton posted copies of each of his letters to his accounts on X and on an X rival called Bluesky.
X is especially fixed in Brussels‘ crosshairs because Musk, who bought Twitter for $44 billion last year, has gutted its staff, including content moderators, in a bid to save money.