EU Digital Chief warns Elon Musk; says Twitter must follow Europe's platform rules
Dec 01, 2022
Washington [US], December 1 : A top European Union official warned Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday that the social media network must take significant steps to comply with EU content moderation requirements, and that European officials will be closely monitoring compliance.
According to CNN, EU's digital chief Thierry Breton believes that Twitter has "massive work ahead" to meet its commitments under the Digital Services Act - Europe's new platform regulation.
"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," Breton said in a statement.
"All of this requires sufficient AI and human resources, both in volumes and skills. I look forward to progress in all these areas and we will come to assess Twitter's readiness on site."
According to CNN, during Wednesday's discussion, Brenton mentioned that Musk promised to allow EU officials "stress test" the social media site for DSA compliance early next year.
The testing, which will take place at Twitter's headquarters in early 2023, will give Twitter plenty of time to make changes in order to fulfil any regulatory deadlines and prepare for an independent audit of the company's policies, according to Breton's office.
The DSA, which came into effect last month, establishes new guidelines for the digital industry in dealing with misleading and unlawful content on social media, as well as illegal goods and services on online marketplaces. Large corporations that break the law might face billions in fines.
The meeting between Breton and Musk comes after a previous conversation between the two in May, during which Musk indicated support for European laws, as per CNN.
Twitter stated in a blog post on Wednesday that none of its policies has changed since Musk came on board, and that its trust and safety team "remains strong and well-resourced, and automated detection plays an increasingly important role in eliminating abuse."
It also stated that anything that violates Twitter's standards will be downgraded on the network.
