Brussels, Belgium: Twitter has been threatened with a ban by the European Union if Mr. Elon Musk doesn’t follow its stringent content moderation guidelines. The warning might signal the beginning of a fight over how the social media platform will be regulated in Europe.
The threat was made by Mr. Thierry Breton, the EU Industry Chief, during a video chat with the Tesla CEO. Mr. Breton informed the richest man in the world that he had to abide by a set of guidelines specified in the EU’s new Digital Services Act.
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.
Mr. Thierry Breton remarked.
The landmark law attempts to establish a standard for how digital firms must regulate online content around the world. “As a result, the pair agreed that the EU will carry out a “stress test” at Twitter’s headquarters early next year to assess the company’s compliance with the rules, a readout stated,” as per the reports.
Musk has yet to publicly comment on the report, but he has previously cited that Twitter will abide by all relevant laws. The 51-year-old completed his $44 billion takeover of Twitter and has since made several contentious decisions regarding its management.
The Tesla billionaire grabbed attention worldwide after firing approximately half of the 8,000 employees on Twitter, including 15 percent of the trust and safety department. Recently, Mr. Musk has informed he will grant “amnesty” for suspended Twitter accounts – prompting experts to predict a rise in harassment, hate speech, and misinformation.