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NEW DELHI: The European Union (EU) has issued a warning to Elon Musk concerning allegations of disinformation related to the Hamas attack on Israel. These alleged disinformation activities, including the dissemination of fake news and “repurposed old images,” are said to have occurred on a social media platform previously known as Twitter, now referred to as “X”, reports the Guardian.
The EU’s warning arrives shortly after the implementation of new regulations governing social media content under the Digital Services Act. According to these regulations, if Musk, the owner of X, fails to comply, he could face a substantial fine of up to 6% of his revenues from X or a complete blackout of his platform within the EU.
Thierry Breton, the commissioner responsible for enforcing the Digital Services Act, has written a letter to Musk, urging him to promptly, accurately, and comprehensively respond to the request to contact Europol, the EU’s police enforcement agency, and other relevant law enforcement agencies within the next 24 hours.
Breton said that Musk must implement “proportionate and effective mitigation measures” to combat the risks to public security and civic discourse arising from disinformation.
“Following the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel, we have indications that your platform is being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU,” wrote Breton.
He went on to highlight widespread reports from public media and civil society organizations regarding the circulation of fake and manipulated images and false information on Musk’s platform in the EU. These include instances of repurposed old images from unrelated armed conflicts or military footage sourced from video games, which are misleading and false.
Breton reminded Musk that the Digital Services Act imposes precise obligations regarding content moderation and expressed concerns about Musk’s compliance with these new rules, particularly in light of recent changes to X’s public interest policies.
Musk had previously withdrawn from a voluntary code of practice established by the EU to help social media platforms comply with the new regulations.
Breton’s letter stressed on two key points. Firstly, Musk must be transparent and clear about what content is allowed on X and consistently enforce the platform’s policies, especially concerning violent and terrorist content. Second, when X receives notices of illegal content in the EU, it must respond promptly, diligently, and objectively, removing the relevant content when necessary.
Breton urged Musk to ensure the effectiveness of X’s systems and report immediately to the EU regarding the crisis measures taken. He also called on Musk to cooperate with law enforcement authorities and Europol and promptly respond to their requests.
The EU has clarified that those who do not participate in the voluntary code of practice will not be able to argue “mitigating” factors in case of punitive measures imposed by Brussels.
Breton concluded by stating that Musk’s response would be included in the assessment of X’s compliance with the Digital Services Act, reminding him that penalties could be imposed following a potential investigation and a finding of non-compliance.
X came under scrutiny due to concerns about fake posts and Musk’s endorsement of accounts that had made false claims or antisemitic comments regarding war coverage. Musk recommended two accounts, @WarMonitors and @sentdefender, for real-time war updates, prompting further scrutiny of content on the platform.
The EU’s warning arrives shortly after the implementation of new regulations governing social media content under the Digital Services Act. According to these regulations, if Musk, the owner of X, fails to comply, he could face a substantial fine of up to 6% of his revenues from X or a complete blackout of his platform within the EU.
Thierry Breton, the commissioner responsible for enforcing the Digital Services Act, has written a letter to Musk, urging him to promptly, accurately, and comprehensively respond to the request to contact Europol, the EU’s police enforcement agency, and other relevant law enforcement agencies within the next 24 hours.
Breton said that Musk must implement “proportionate and effective mitigation measures” to combat the risks to public security and civic discourse arising from disinformation.
“Following the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel, we have indications that your platform is being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU,” wrote Breton.
He went on to highlight widespread reports from public media and civil society organizations regarding the circulation of fake and manipulated images and false information on Musk’s platform in the EU. These include instances of repurposed old images from unrelated armed conflicts or military footage sourced from video games, which are misleading and false.
Breton reminded Musk that the Digital Services Act imposes precise obligations regarding content moderation and expressed concerns about Musk’s compliance with these new rules, particularly in light of recent changes to X’s public interest policies.
Musk had previously withdrawn from a voluntary code of practice established by the EU to help social media platforms comply with the new regulations.
Breton’s letter stressed on two key points. Firstly, Musk must be transparent and clear about what content is allowed on X and consistently enforce the platform’s policies, especially concerning violent and terrorist content. Second, when X receives notices of illegal content in the EU, it must respond promptly, diligently, and objectively, removing the relevant content when necessary.
Breton urged Musk to ensure the effectiveness of X’s systems and report immediately to the EU regarding the crisis measures taken. He also called on Musk to cooperate with law enforcement authorities and Europol and promptly respond to their requests.
The EU has clarified that those who do not participate in the voluntary code of practice will not be able to argue “mitigating” factors in case of punitive measures imposed by Brussels.
Breton concluded by stating that Musk’s response would be included in the assessment of X’s compliance with the Digital Services Act, reminding him that penalties could be imposed following a potential investigation and a finding of non-compliance.
X came under scrutiny due to concerns about fake posts and Musk’s endorsement of accounts that had made false claims or antisemitic comments regarding war coverage. Musk recommended two accounts, @WarMonitors and @sentdefender, for real-time war updates, prompting further scrutiny of content on the platform.
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