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☆ EU officials warn Google and YouTube about Hamas-Israel disinformation and graphic content
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —The European Commission sent a warning letter Friday to Google and its subsidiary YouTube over disinformation and graphic content linked to the Hamas-Israel conflict, in the European Union’s latest effort to scrutinize Big Tech’s handling of the war. The letter from European Commissioner Thierry Breton, addressed to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and also sent to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, reminded the company about its content moderation obligations under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Breton shared the letter on X.Breton highlighted legal requirements for Google to keep graphic content such as hostage videos away from underage users; to act swiftly when authorities flag content that violates European laws; and to mitigate disinformation. It also warned of possible penalties if a future investigation were to find Google (GOOGL) is not complying with the DSA. Unlike some of those previous letters, however, Breton’s letter to Google does not directly suggest the company has spread misleading or illegal content.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Sundar Pichai, Neal Mohan, Breton, ” Breton, Ivy Choi, ” Choi, “, CNN’s Organizations: Washington CNN, European Commission, Google, YouTube, EU’s Digital Services, DSA, CNN Locations: Israel, Brussels, Gaza

Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer of Alphabet, gestures as he speaks during a session of the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Friday warned Alphabet (GOOGL.O) Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai to adhere to EU tech rules after the spread of disinformation on YouTube following Hamas' attacks in Israel, the latest company to be rebuked. False content about the Israel and Hamas conflict has proliferated on the major social media platforms over the past several days. According to Alphabet's YouTube, the company has quickly worked to remove harmful content after Hamas' attack and was prepared to take additional action. It has also rolled out a crisis resource panel in search with information from Israeli authorities for viewers in Israel.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Denis Balibouse, Thierry Breton, Breton, Pichai, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Shou Zi Chew, Foo Yun Chee, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Sheila Dang, Louise Heavens, Diane Craft Organizations: Economic, REUTERS, Rights, YouTube, Twitter, Digital Services, Google, DSA, Thomson Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Rights BRUSSELS, Israel, Dallas

☆ Europe-Musk spat carries risks for both sides
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The European Commission has made social-media site X, formerly known as Twitter, the test case for its fight against disinformation. The Commission on Oct. 12 sent a formal request to X, owned by Elon Musk, for information about possible illegal content and disinformation. X pushed back, with Musk exchanging combative posts with Breton on the website. While the process drags on, any problematic posts can just keep proliferating on X and other sites. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Thierry Breton, X, Breton, Rebecca Christie, Liam Proud, Streisand Neto Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, European Commission, Twitter, Elon, Digital Services, DSA, Big Tech, X, Infosys, Ericsson, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Rights BRUSSELS, Israel, Breton, Europe, Brussels

☆ Why Meta, X and TikTok face more pressure from Europe than the U.S. on Israel-Hamas war disinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Days after the Israel-Hamas war erupted last weekend, social media platforms like Meta , TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) received a stark warning from a top European regulator to stay vigilant about disinformation and violent posts related to the conflict. In that case, the AGs argued that the Biden administration was overly coercive in its suggestions to social media companies that they remove such posts. In the U.S., "we can't have government officials leaning on social media platforms and telling them, 'You really should be looking at this more closely. Under the DSA, large online platforms must have robust procedures for removing hate speech and disinformation, though they must be balanced against free expression concerns. A series of letters from New York AG Letitia James to several social media sites on Thursday exemplifies how U.S. officials may try to walk that line.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Breton, Elon Musk, Biden, David Greene, they're, Kevin Goldberg, Goldberg, Christoph Schmon, Greene, New York AG Letitia James, James Organizations: Digital Services, Republican, AGs, White, Federal Bureau of, Electronic Frontier Foundation Civil, Freedom, EFF, DSA, New York AG, Google, CNBC, YouTube, EU's, Twitter Locations: Israel, U.S, New, Europe

☆ Meta says it's stepping up misinformation enforcement during Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Meta is expanding its enforcement of its policies against violent posts and misinformation amid the Israel-Hamas war as charged images and posts balloon on social media. The DSA requires social media platforms to monitor and remove illegal content in Europe. Meta described the actions it has taken since the conflict began in a blog post published Friday. Hamas is designated under that policy and banned from Meta platforms due to its designation by the U.S. government as a foreign terrorist organization. Meta is also "temporarily expanding" its violence and incitement policy and will remove posts that identify hostages, even when done to raise awareness.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Meta Organizations: Twitter, Union's Digital Services, Organizations, Hamas, Meta, U.S, Facebook Locations: Israel, Europe

☆ Investors flock to defensive stocks and safe havens on worries about Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Israel-Hamas war is sending investors in search of defensive assets. Israel declared war on Hamas Sunday after the Palestinian militant group launched a brutal attack that killed at least 1,300 people. But investors have since bought up shares of virtually risk-free government bonds, indicating that Wall Street remains worried. Utilities, energy and real estate stocks have also outperformed the broader S&P 500 index’s roughly 1% gain this week. In August, a recently passed EU law known as the Digital Services Act went into effect for large online platforms, including the companies Breton addressed this week.

Persons: ”, George Smith, Bryan Hinmon, Hinmon, hasn’t, TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, Thierry Breton, Brian Fung, Breton, ” Breton, TikTok didn’t, Anna Cooban, ” Russia’s, Andrei Belousov, Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, CNN, Stock, Treasury, LPL, Twitter, Meta, Digital Services Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ukraine, Chew, Moscow

☆ EU officials warn TikTok over Israel-Hamas disinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —EU officials warned TikTok Thursday about “illegal content and disinformation” on its platform linked to the war between Hamas and Israel, calling for CEO Shou Zi Chew to respond within 24 hours. In a letter to Chew, European Commissioner Thierry Breton said failure to comply with European Union laws around content moderation could result in penalties. It is the third such letter Breton has sent to large social media platforms this week, after he sent similar warnings to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and Meta. In August, a recently passed EU law known as the Digital Services Act went into effect for large online platforms including the companies Breton addressed this week. Since the war began, Breton wrote, TikTok has reportedly spread graphic videos and misleading content on the platform.

Persons: Shou Zi Chew, Thierry Breton, Breton, TikTok, ” Breton, TikTok didn’t Organizations: CNN, Twitter, Meta, Digital Services Locations: Israel, Chew

☆ Europe is investigating Elon Musk's X about Israel-Hamas misinformation, violence on the app
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Thierry Breton, the European commissioner for the internal market, said on X that the European Union's executive arm, the European Commission, is investigating whether X is complying with the Digital Services Act. The act went into effect in late August, requiring platforms that have over 45 million monthly active users in the EU to scan for and remove illegal content from their services and to detail their methodologies. Breton sent a letter to X owner Elon Musk expressing concern about the spread of disinformation and "violent and terrorist" content on the service and urging Musk to respond within 24 hours time. "We continue to respond promptly to law enforcement requests from around the world, including EU member states," X said in the letter. "At the time of receipt of your letter, we had not received any notices from Europol relating to illegal content on the service."

Persons: Elon Musk, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Fatih Aktas, Thierry Breton, Breton, Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, X Organizations: Turkish, United Nations, UN, Anadolu Agency, Getty, European, European Commission, Digital Services, DSA, EC Locations: New York, United States, European, Israel

LONDON (AP) — Elon Musk's social media platform X has removed hundreds of Hamas-linked accounts and taken down or labeled thousands of pieces of content since the militant group's attack on Israel, according to the CEO of the company formerly known as Twitter. Linda Yaccarino on Thursday outlined efforts by X to get a handle on illegal content flourishing on the platform. Plus, X's workforce — including its content moderation team — has been gutted. Political Cartoons View All 1207 ImagesThose changes are running up against the EU's Digital Services Act, which took effect in August. It forces social media companies to step up policing of their platforms for illegal content, such as terrorist material or illegal hate speech, under threat of hefty fines.

Persons: — Elon, Linda Yaccarino, X, ” Yaccarino, Thierry Breton, —, Yaccarino, Musk Organizations: Twitter, European Union, EU's Digital Services, YouTube, Facebook Locations: Israel, EU

Printed TikTok logos are seen in this illustration taken February 15, 2022. Breton's warning in a letter to Chew, first seen by Reuters, follows similar letters to X, formerly Twitter, owner Elon Musk and Meta Platforms' Mark Zuckerberg earlier this week. Breton subsequently posted the letter on social media platform Bluesky. Breton said in the letter to TikTok, owned by Chinese conglomerate ByteDance, that he had indications that it was being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU after the Hamas attacks. The EU industry commissioner said rules on content moderation were clear in the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and spelt out certain obligations in his letter.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Thierry Breton, Frenchman, Shou Zi Chew, Chew, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Breton, Linda Yaccarino, Foo Yun Chee, Philip Blenkinsop, Jane Merriman, Elaine Hardcastle, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Digital Services, DSA, Reuters, EU, EU Digital Services, Thomson Locations: Rights BRUSSELS, Israel

☆ X removes hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts since attack, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of social media platform X, formerly Twitter, is seen alongside the former logo in this illustration taken, July 24, 2023. Breton said he had indications that X was being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the European Union. The recently implemented Digital Services Act (DSA) requires large online platforms, including X and Meta's (META.O) Facebook, to remove illegal content and to take measures to tackle the risks to public security and civic discourse. X has redistributed resources and refocused internal teams to address the rapidly evolving situation, Yaccarino said, without specifying the changes. She added that the Musk-owned company assembled a leadership group to assess the situation shortly after the attack.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Linda, Yaccarino, Thierry Breton's, Elon Musk, Breton, Urvi Dugar, Alex Richardson, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Twitter, European Union, Services, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Israel, Bengaluru

☆ Elon Musk’s X says it has removed ‘hundreds’ of Hamas-affiliated accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —X says it has removed “hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts” and taken down thousands of posts since the attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group. “X is… addressing identified fake and manipulated content during this constantly evolving and shifting crisis,” she added. The platform had “assembled a leadership group to assess the situation” shortly after news broke about the attack, Yaccarino said. It had also responded to more than 80 “take down requests” from EU authorities to remove content. “Community Notes” — which allow X users to fact check false posts — are visible on “thousands of posts, generating millions of impressions,” she wrote.

Persons: London CNN —, Linda Yaccarino, Thierry Breton, ” Yaccarino, “, Yaccarino, X, ”, Breton Organizations: London CNN, Twitter, European Union, Digital Services Locations: Israel, Palestinian

☆ Elon Musk's X rebuts EU allegations of 'illegal' content about the Israel-Hamas conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Linda Yaccarino: CEO of X speaking with CNBC's Sara Eisen on Aug. 10th, 2023. In a letter posted on X, Yaccarino said that after the Hamas attack on Israel, the social media firm "assembled a leadership group to assess the situation." The CEO also detailed the company's policies around violent speech, synthetic or manipulated media and perpetrators of violent attacks. "X is committed to serving the public conversation, especially in critical moments like this and understands the importance of addressing any illegal content that may be disseminated through the platform," Yaccarino said. This year, the EU introduced the Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping piece of regulation that forces online platforms to police illegal content more aggressively or risk huge fines.

Persons: Linda Yaccarino, CNBC's Sara Eisen, CNBC Linda Yaccarino, Yaccarino, Thierry Breton, Elon Musk, Breton Organizations: CNBC, Hamas, European Union, Wednesday, X, EU, Israel, Digital Services Locations: Israel, Palestinian, U.S, Japan, Australia, EU

☆ Europe gives TikTok CEO 24 hours to respond about Israel-Hamas war misinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew prepares to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on TikTok: How Congress Can Safeguard American Data Privacy and Protect Children from Online Harms, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on March 23, 2023. European regulator Thierry Breton shared a stern letter to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on Thursday, claiming his office has "indications" that the platform is being used to distribute disinformation and illegal content around the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Breton issued similar letters to X owner Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg this week. Under the European Union's newly enacted Digital Services Act, TikTok must monitor and remove illegal content such as terrorist content or illegal hate speech. Failure to comply with the European regulations around illegal content could result in fines worth 6% of a company's annual revenue.

Persons: Shou Zi Chew, Online Harms, Thierry Breton, Breton, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, TikTok, Chew, Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Zuckerberg Organizations: House Energy, Commerce, Safeguard, Online, Capitol, Washington , D.C, Services, Twitter, Meta, Facebook, CNBC Locations: Washington ,, Israel, Breton

But the Israel-Hamas war has underscored how the platform now transformed into X has become not only unreliable but is actively promoting falsehoods. “People are desperate for information and social media context may actively interfere with people’s ability to distinguish fact from fiction,” said Gordon Pennycook, an associate professor of psychology at Cornell University who studies misinformation. But unlike X, TikTok has never been known as the No. Meanwhile, in Europe, major social media platforms are facing stricter scrutiny over the war. “Our policy is that everything is open source and transparent, an approach that I know the EU supports,” Musk wrote on X.

Persons: Ian Bremmer, “, algorithmically, ”, Gordon Pennycook, TikTok, Kolina Koltai, Koltai, we’ve, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Pennycook, Michelle Donelan, Thierry Breton, Musk, ” Musk, ” Breton, ___ Kelvin Chan Organizations: Twitter, Elon, YouTube, Facebook, Cornell University, Media, Press, Israel, Reuters, Britain’s, Google, Digital Services, EU Locations: Israel, Europe, London

☆ EU's Breton gives Meta's Zuckerberg 24 hours to detail disinformation response
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

EU flag and Meta logo are seen in this illustration taken, May 22, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The EU's industry chief Thierry Breton on Wednesday gave Meta Platforms (META.O) 24 hours to inform him of measures taken to counter the spread of disinformation on its platforms following Palestinian Islamist group Hamas' surprise attack on Israel. "I would ask you to be very vigilant to ensure strict compliance with the DSA rules on terms of service, on the requirement of timely, diligent and objective action following notices of illegal content in the EU, and on the need for proportionate and effective mitigation measures," Breton told Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a letter. The Digital Services Act (DSA) forces very large online platforms to remove illegal online content on their platforms. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Thierry Breton, Breton, Mark Zuckerberg, Foo Yun Chee, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, DSA, EU, Digital Services, Thomson Locations: Rights BRUSSELS, Israel

☆ EU urges Big Tech to tackle terrorist content after Hamas attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In his letters to Musk and Zuckerberg, Breton said their companies had 24 hours to inform the EU how they were stopping harmful content on their platforms. Now, the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, has sought to remind all social media companies they are legally required to prevent the spread of harmful content related to Hamas. “Content circulating online that can be associated to Hamas qualifies as terrorist content, is illegal, and needs to be removed under both the DSA (Digital Services Act) and TCO (Terrorist Content Online) Regulation,” a Commission spokesperson told Reuters. The Commission urges online platforms to fully comply with EU rules.”The recently implemented DSA requires large online platforms, including X and Meta’s Facebook, to remove illegal content and to take measures to tackle the risks to public security and civic discourse. It is unclear if Breton has sent similar messages to other social media companies designated under the DSA.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Thierry Breton, Elon, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Breton, Martin Coulter, Bernadette Baum, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, EU, LONDON, European, Hamas, European Commission, DSA, Services, Reuters, Facebook, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Breton, Europe

☆ Elon Musk demands to see a 'list of violations' after the EU called him out over the rapid spread of Israel-Gaza disinformation on X
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk has demanded the EU provide a "list of violations" concerning disinformation on X. The international body told Musk to tackle the problem or face penalties. AdvertisementAdvertisementElon Musk has demanded to see a "list of violations" after the European Union told him to tackle disinformation about the Israel-Gaza conflict, which has been rapidly spreading on X. In a post on X, Musk replied to Breton's letter, saying: "Our policy is that everything is open source and transparent, an approach that I know the EU supports. The company's CEO, Linda Yaccarino, pulled out of two speaking arrangements, citing the developing conflict and a need to "remain fully focused on X platform safety."

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Thierry Breton, Breton, Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Sander van der Linden Organizations: EU, Service, European Union, Hamas, University of Cambridge Locations: Israel, Gaza, Algerian

☆ Europe gives Mark Zuckerberg 24 hours to respond about Israel-Hamas conflict and election misinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Breton, European commissioner for the internal market, said the European Union has been seeing an increase in illegal content and disinformation on "certain platforms" following the Hamas attack on Israel. Under the EU's newly enacted Digital Services Act, Meta is responsible for monitoring and removing illegal content like terrorist content or illegal hate speech. Failure to comply with the European regulations around illegal content could result in fines worth 6% of a company's annual revenue. "I urgently invite you to ensure that your systems are effective," Breton wrote in the letter, asking Zuckerberg to respond within the next 24 hours. Breton wrote that his office has "indications" that groups are spreading misinformation and "violent and terrorist" content about the Israel-Hamas conflict on the platform.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Mark Zuckerberg, Breton, Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Musk Organizations: European Union, Meta, Facebook, Twitter, Services, EU, DSA Locations: Israel, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Austria, Belgium

☆ Elon Musk's X could face expulsion from Europe over Israel-Gaza disinformation, EU official says: 'These are not empty threats'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk's social media platform could be banned from Europe, an EU official told Insider. "These are not empty threats," MEP Stéphanie Yon-Courtin told Insider. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn EU official has warned that X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, could be banned from Europe if it fails to comply with EU rules over disinformation amid the Israel-Gaza conflict. The EU commissioner gave Musk a deadline at 7 p.m. Central European Time on Wednesday to comply with EU regulations, Yon-Courtin told Insider. According to those rules, X could face fines of up to 6% of its revenue or even expulsion.

Persons: Elon, Stéphanie Yon, Courtin, —, Elon Musk, Thierry Breton, Musk, Breton, who's, Linda Yaccinaro Organizations: Service, Elon, EU, Digital Services, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Europe, Israel, Gaza, EU

Europe's telecoms operators say Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O), Meta's (META.O) Facebook, Netflix (NFLX.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Amazon (AMZN.O) should bear some of the costs because they make up a huge part of internet traffic. Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) call it fair-share funding while Big Tech says it amounts to an internet tax. The French commissioner, a former chief executive at France Telecom and supporter of the operators' push, faced blowback from some of his fellow commissioners and some EU countries. Breton will likely voice concerns about the recent acquisitions of telecoms stakes by sovereign investment funds and private equity firms to EU telecoms ministers at an Oct. 23-24 meeting in Leon, Spain, another person said. ($1 = 0.9418 euros)Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Breton, Foo Yun Chee, Tomasz Janowski, Mark Porter Organizations: Big Tech, European Commission, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Microsoft, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, Telecom Italia, France Telecom, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, Orange, Leon, Spain

via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The EU's industry chief told Elon Musk that disinformation was spreading on his X messaging platform since Palestinian Islamist group Hamas' surprise attack on Israel, urging him to take counter-measures in line with new EU online content rules. Thierry Breton said on Tuesday he had indications that X, formerly known as Twitter, was being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the European Union. "I therefore invite you to urgently ensure that your systems are effective and report on the crisis measures taken to my team," Breton told Musk in a letter dated Oct. 10 and seen by Reuters. Responding to Breton's X posting, Musk said his company's policy was that everything is open source and transparent. "Please list the violations you allude to on X, so that the public can see them," he said on X.

Persons: Elon, Thierry Breton, Breton, Musk, Foo Yun Chee, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Mrinmay Dey, Chris Reese, Mark Heinrich, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Twitter, European Union, Reuters, Digital Services, DSA, Thomson Locations: Rights BRUSSELS, Israel, Bengaluru

REGULATORY SCRUTINYWhile disinformation has spread on all major social media platforms including Facebook and TikTok, X appeared to be the most recent to draw scrutiny from regulators. On Tuesday, European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton warned Musk that X was spreading "illegal content and disinformation," according to a letter Breton posted on X. Musk himself recommended that X users follow two accounts that had previously spread false claims for "real-time" updates on the conflict, the Washington Post reported. False information has also spread on messaging app Telegram and short-form video app TikTok, said DFRLab's Trad. Like other online platforms, YouTube has moderation employees and technology to remove content that violates its rules.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ruslan Trad, X, Bruno Mars miscaptioned, Thierry Breton, Breton, Musk, Renee DiResta, Jack Brewster, Brewster, Tamara Kharroub, DFRLab's Trad, TikTok, Solomon Messing, there's, Messing, Kharroub, Sheila Dang, Riniki Sanyal, Deepa Babington Organizations: Twitter, REUTERS, Elon, European Union, Reuters, Atlantic, Forensic Research, Hamas, Meta, Facebook, European, EU, Stanford Internet Observatory, Washington Post, Washington, Arab Center Washington DC, New York University's Center for Social Media, YouTube, Thomson Locations: Israel, American, New, Dallas, Bangalore

☆ Europe warns Elon Musk about misinformation and violence on X , formerly Twitter, related to Hamas-Israel conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

X CEO Elon Musk leaves a U.S. Senate bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Insight Forum at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 13, 2023. A European regulator has issued Elon Musk a stern warning about the spread of illegal content and disinformation on X, formerly known as Twitter, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Failure to comply with the European regulations around illegal content could result in fines worth 6% of a company's annual revenue. The commissioner said that recent "changes in public interest policies" caused confusion in "many European users." Watch: Elon Musk has "cut off the good guys, empowered the bad guys."

Persons: Elon Musk, Elon, Thierry Breton, Musk, Breton, X Organizations: Senate, Intelligence, U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, Digital Services, European Commission, European Union, EU Locations: U.S, Washington ,, Israel

As a platform subject to Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA), X could face billions in fines if regulators conclude that violations have occurred. Much of the problematic content appears to stem from platform changes made under Musk’s supervision, Breton suggested in the letter, which he shared on X. “We have, from qualified sources, reports about potentially illegal content circulating on your service despite flags from relevant authorities,” Breton wrote. The EU letter comes as misinformation about the conflict continues to spread widely across X. On Tuesday, the investigative journalism group Bellingcat said a fake video designed to look like a BBC News report was circulating on social media.

Persons: Elon Musk, Thierry Breton, X didn’t, Breton, X, ” Breton, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, ”, Bellingcat, Elliot Higgins, Shayan, “, Musk Organizations: CNN, Europe’s Digital Services, White, DSA, SpaceX, Tesla, Viva Technology, Porte de, Reuters, BBC, BBC News, Pentagon Locations: Israel, Paris, France, EU, Ukraine

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