The EU has warned Elon Musk about the need to comply with new laws on fake news and Russian propaganda after Platform X turned out to be the leader in terms of disinformation among all major social networks, writes The Guardian.
The high level of disinformation on the platform was recorded in a European report on how tech companies are fighting this phenomenon. According to the report, Facebook was the second worst offender.
However, Facebook and other tech giants, including Google, TikTok, and Microsoft, have agreed to work on a voluntary code of conduct. Its goal is to set industry standards for fact-checking and other measures.
Meanwhile, Platform X is not subject to this code. However, under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which recently came into force, it must comply with the rules. Otherwise, it faces a ban throughout the EU.
“Mr Musk knows he is not off the hook by leaving the code of practice,” said the European commissioner Věra Jourová, who is responsible for the implementation of the new anti-disinformation code. “There are obligations under the hard law. So my message for Twitter/X is you have to comply. We will be watching what you do.”
She also emphasized Russian disinformation.
“The Russian state has engaged in the war of ideas to pollute our information space with half truth and lies to create a false image that democracy is no better than autocracy,” said Jourová.
According to her, the Kremlin’s propaganda is “a multimillion-dollar weapon of mass manipulation aimed at Russians, Europeans, and the rest of the world. And we have to fight it. Very large platforms should pay attention to this risk.”
As a reminder, stricter rules under the DSA were introduced for the world’s largest online platforms in the summer. All major social media companies have to comply with stricter legal rules that require a more serious approach to content control, including disinformation and hate speech.
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