2023-10-13 04:04:00
The European Union reacts. The European Commission announced on Thursday the opening of an investigation targeting the social network fake news », « violent and terrorist content » or « hate speech », after the Hamas attacks against Israel. In detail, the Brussels executive explained in a press release that it had sent a formal request for information to the platform of billionaire Elon Musk.
Israel-Hamas war: how disinformation ravages X (formerly Twitter) and embarrasses Europe
This is the first procedure launched under the new European Digital Services (DSA) legislation. It comes two days after a first warning letter from Commissioner Thierry Breton. The latter thus continues the turn of the screw started at the beginning of the week and which saw him successively warn X, Meta and again on Thursday TikTok, in letters addressed to their leaders. The request for information sent to X constitutes the first step. The procedure can in fact lead to heavy financial sanctions, in the event of proven and prolonged violations of the regulations. In extreme cases, fines can reach 6% of the group’s global turnover.
“Alleged dissemination of illicit content”
The request for information “ follows indications received regarding the alleged dissemination of illicit content », explained the Commission which inherited a new power of control and sanction. This request takes the form of a document of around forty pages with specific questions. A first series concerns clarifications to be made on the publication of illegal content and false information, in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Twitter will have until October 18 to respond. The deadline is extended to October 31 for other less urgent requests.
It is ” protect our citizens and our democracies by providing a safe environment for users and reliable sources of information, including in times of crisis », Explained to AFP Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Digital Affairs, at the origin of the new legislation.
For its part, the X network published a detailed response to the Commission’s first warning letter on Thursday, explaining that it had “ deleted or reported tens of thousands of messages » linked to the Hamas attack. “ There is no place on X for terrorist organizations or violent extremist groups and we continue to remove such accounts in real time », defended the platform, specifying that it had set up “ a task force to take care of the situation ».
Social networks flooded with violent images
However, Brussels was already concerned at the end of September about the rate of misinformation on X, pointing out its poor results during tests carried out on several platforms. After buying Twitter last year, Elon Musk carried out a massive wave of layoffs that decimated the moderation teams. He regularly reaffirms his vision of freedom of expression, refusing any “ censure “, even if it ensures that it respects the laws of each country.
The launch of the procedure on Thursday targeting The Israeli response in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 1,350 people, including many civilians.
War between Israel and Hamas: faced with terrorism, Emmanuel Macron advocates a “strong and just response”
The conflict arouses immense emotion across the world, conducive to attempts to manipulate opinion. Humiliating videos of hostages, decapitated bodies, filmed assassinations… Social networks have been flooded with violent images, but also with attempts at disinformation, a challenge for all platforms.
Meta and TikTok also in Brussels’ sights
Brussels also warned the American group Meta (Facebook, Instagram) on Wednesday, then the Chinese social network TikTok on Thursday. “ Your platform is used intensively by children and adolescents. You have a particular obligation to protect them from violent content (…) which seems to circulate widely on your platform without any particular security measures », Wrote Thierry Breton in a letter to the boss of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, published on the social networks Bluesky and X.
Concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict, a spokesperson for Meta explained on Wednesday that the group has “ quickly established a special operations center staffed by experts, including people fluent in Hebrew and Arabic ».
Stricter rules have been imposed on 19 very large internet players, including X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, since the end of August. In his warning to Meta, Thierry Breton also mentioned disinformation on Wednesday in the context of elections in Europe, before the legislative elections in Poland on Sunday and a European election next June.
(With AFP)
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