European Union (EU) industry chief Thierry Breton has called out X CEO Elon Musk over information on Hamas attacks on X.
X the company formerly known as Twitter, is alleged to have violated EU law related to “violent and terrorist content.”
Breton claimed that such content had not been removed from the platform, as required by EU regulations.
This is since attacks between Hamas and Israel commenced days ago with Hamas taking the first step crossing into Israeli territory.
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Musk responds
In response, Musk stated that his company had taken action, including removing newly created accounts affiliated with Hamas.
In addition, Musk requested the EU to list the alleged violations committed by X for clarity on what required correcting.
However, Breton’s letter did not provide specific details about the disinformation he was referring to.
Moreover, the industry chief mentioned instances of “fake and manipulated images and facts” being reported on the social media platform.
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EU digital laws
The EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to protect users of large tech platforms, became law in November 2022.
The law has stricter conditions for very large online platforms, those with over 45 million EU users, this includes X.
According to the EU, social media giants are required to assess potential risks, report those assessments, and implement measures to address the issues.
However, failure to comply with the EU law can result in EU fines of up to 6% of a company’s global turnover.
In the most extreme of cases, a social media platform may face suspension from operating within EU territory.
Musk has taken a different approach to managing content compared to the platform’s previous policies.
He dissolved Twitter’s Trust and Safety Council shortly after acquiring the company in 2022.
The volunteer council, formed in 2016, included about 100 independent groups that advised on issues such as self-harm, child abuse, and hate speech.
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