That’s it, the ax falls: the European Union launches an investigation against the social network X.com for disseminating illegal content and disinformation.
This is a first action of this kind, which takes place in the context of the Digital Services Act, the regulation so feared by the companies concerned. The main mission of the decision is to stop the dissemination of false content and disinformation on the Web and social networks.
The first giant caught in the EU’s sights is X.com, which was already under threat of an investigation. The reason: the toxic role of the platform in the context of the attacks that took place in Israel.
An explosive context
Following the attacks in Israel, it must be said that the images or information broadcast on the platform really have nothing to shine about. For example, videos purportedly depicting Hamas missile attacks on Israel actually came from… a video game. In recent days, false information has circulated en masse on the network. Elon Musk himself pushed users of the service to follow unsavory accounts that spread unverified information.
The warning formulated by Thierry Breton against X.com and Elon Musk was however very clear: the EU was fully aware that illegal and illegitimate content was being spread on the platform. This therefore had to ensure that they were moderated so as not to amplify the phenomenon of disinformation. Musk was given 24 hours by the Union and Europol to respond to this request, and an investigation would be opened if the situation was not resolved.
Consequences and responses
The warning appears to have been taken seriously by Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X.com. According to her, there is already “ hundreds » of deleted accounts associated with terrorism and extremism. At the same time, “ tens of thousands » content has been deleted as well as “ thousands » of suspicious publications. If we are to believe the company’s estimates, more than 50 million publications referring to terrorist attacks on a global scale have spread across the network. If X.com is to moderate this wave of content, it will have to accelerate the pace.
The investigation is now open. X.com has 5 days, until October 18, to provide additional information on its action protocol to stop the phenomenon. If the deadlines are not met, the company will be punished with fines from the EU.
Source : TechCrunch
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