United States: Twitter has agreed to abide by tough new European Union (EU) laws concerning fake news, Russian propaganda, and online crime. Officials from the European Commission conducted a test at Twitter’s headquarters to assess the company’s ability to operate within the bounds of European law.
The move follows former Twitter CEO Mr. Elon Musk’s recent withdrawal from the EU’s voluntary code of conduct on disinformation. In an unprecedented move, EU officials were granted access to Twitter’s headquarters to conduct a simulated exercise with company staff, evaluating their controls against Russian propaganda, fake news, and criminal activities such as child sexual exploitation.
Mr. Thierry Breton, the commissioner responsible for enforcing the new Digital Services Act, welcomed Twitter’s voluntary participation in the test. The commissioner cautioned all social media platforms that the EU would take swift and decisive action to uphold the comprehensive new laws, which will come into effect in August.
Mr. Breton emphasised the need for robust measures and resources to combat online crime, stating that large online platforms must be fully prepared to adhere to the new European regulations. The EU had concerns about Twitter’s compliance, leading one commissioner to warn the company against operating in a “wild west” manner.
The test conducted at Twitter’s headquarters focused on various aspects, including recommended content, controls against illegal content such as online child sexual exploitation, and Twitter’s approach to tackling disinformation. Forty-four companies, including Google and Facebook, are participating in the EU’s code of conduct, which aims to help social media platforms prepare for the upcoming laws.
The EU had previously warned Elon Musk that non-compliance could result in a complete ban of Twitter in Europe or fines up to 6 percent of the company’s global revenue. While acknowledging Twitter’s seriousness in participating in the exercise, Breton stated that the company still has significant work ahead to become fully compliant before the new EU regulations take effect.
