The European digital landscape is shaken following the recent Hamas attack on Israel. Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, has raised concerns about the role X (Twitter) is playing in spreading misinformation about the conflict.
Through a letter published on the social network, Breton addresses Elon Musk, urging him to take action against the misinformation spreading within X (Twitter). As the war worsens, X has become the perfect platform for disseminating fake news and outright illegal content.
In the letter, Breton emphasizes the need to adhere to European regulations on digital services, especially regarding content moderation. As stated in the letter, Breton points out, “Following the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, we have evidence that your platform is being used to disseminate illegal content and misinformation in the EU.”
In his letter, Breton focused on three of the most concerning issues: first, he asked X (Twitter) to be clearer about its content policies and to enforce them “consistently and diligently.” Next, he emphasized the need for X to act swiftly when alerted about the presence of illegal content. Lastly, he called for the implementation of “mitigation measures” to minimize the risks of misinformation.
In the years leading up to Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, the platform had become an indispensable tool for real-time information about breaking news and events. Questionable changes made by the magnate to the social network have rendered it, now known as X, ineffective for this purpose. Posts from those subscribed to X Premium now take priority, creating uncertainty about which information channels are genuinely reliable.
