‘Do more to fight disinformation on Twitter’: EU asks Elon Musk

Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, was cautioned by Europe’s top enforcer of digital regulations on Wednesday that he must do more to combat misinformation in order to comply with EU law.

The EU commissioner for the internal market, Thierry Breton, held a video call with Musk and told him “there is still huge work ahead” to bring the platform in line with Brussels’ rules.

Breton used Musk’s site Twitter to share a brief, silent video clip of his videoconference, but he also included a link to a lengthy message on the competing Mastodon social network.

“I welcome Elon Musk’s statements of intent to get Twitter 2.0 ready for the DSA,” Breton said, referring to the EU Digital Services Act, Brussels’ overarching internet law

“But let’s also be clear that there is still huge work ahead,” he said.

“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.”

Musk didn’t directly answer to Breton’s post, but in a different tweet in response to another user, he acknowledged that Twitter has “failed in trust and safety for a very long time” under prior administration.

“Twitter 2.0 will be far more effective, transparent and even-handed,” he promised.

The DSA, which was passed last year, will go into effect the following year once tech behemoths have had a chance to abide by more stringent European directives to delete dangerous or purposefully deceptive content.

Companies who are found to be in violation risk fines of up to 6% of their annual global revenue or perhaps being barred from doing business in the European Union, a market with more than 440 million consumers.

Before the law was passed, tech companies lobbied EU policymakers heavily. The majority of them say they will work to abide by the regulations, but Musk’s actions since purchasing Twitter last month have alarmed some.

Musk, a self-described “free speech absolutist,” has already fired a large number of Twitter staffers in charge of content filtering and keeping in touch with Brussels regulators.

Additionally, he has started to permit Twitter users who have been expelled from the service for disseminating false information, like former US president Donald Trump, to rejoin.

On Wednesday, it became known that Twitter no longer enforces a restriction barring users from disseminating false information regarding Covid-19 and the efficacy of vaccines.

Such actions raise alarms in Brussels, which is concerned about whether a significant and important site like Twitter will support the DSA.

“I am pleased to hear that he has read it carefully and considers it as a sensible approach to implement on a worldwide basis,” Breton said in his online statement.

He then provided a checklist for platforms to follow in five posts on Mastodon, though.

These include tightened guidelines against the manipulation of social media content, steps to combat misinformation, strengthened content monitoring, and restrictions on targeted advertising.

Finally, it cautions the industry giants of Silicon Valley to be ready for a European audit of their procedures.