EU Warns Musk It May Ban Twitter Over Concerns About Content Moderation
Bradford Betz, Fox News, November 30, 2022
The European Union on Wednesday warned Elon Musk that Twitter faces fines, and possibly a ban, if it doesn’t beef up measures to moderate hate speech and misinformation.
Thierry Breton, the EU’s commissioner for digital policy, held a video call with Musk on Wednesday to discuss Twitter’s preparedness for the Digital Services Act. The new rule, set to take effect next year, will require tech companies to better police their platforms for material that promotes terrorism, child sexual abuse, hate speech and commercial scams.
Breton said he was pleased to hear that Musk considers the EU rules “a sensible approach to implement on a worldwide basis.”
“But let’s also be clear that there is still huge work ahead,” Musk reportedly said, according to a readout of the call. “Twitter will have to implement transparent user policies, significantly reinforce content moderation and protect freedom of speech, tackle disinformation with resolve, and limit targeted advertising.”
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In the call Wednesday, Musk agreed to let the EU’s Executive Commission carry out a “stress test” at Twitter’s headquarters early next year to help the platform comply with the new rules ahead of schedule {snip}
That will also help the company prepare for an “extensive independent audit” as required by the new law, which is aimed at protecting internet users from illegal content and reducing the spread of harmful but legal material.
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