Twitter intends to stick to the censorship rules of the European Union’s new Digital Services Act (DSA), which seeks to control misinformation and hate speech online, Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for Digital Policy, recently said. said in a video call.
In a video call with Twitter owner Elon Musk, Breton discussed Twitter’s preparations to comply with the DSA, which will take effect from September. “I am keeping an eye on the path Twitter is taking in Europe to comply with the #DSA rules. The next few months will be crucial for turning that commitment into reality. exchange of ideas,” he commented Mr Breton. Tweet Musk, on the other hand, claimed to have had “good talks” with Breton on the EU’s DSA.
“The goals of transparency, accountability and accuracy of information are aligned with our goals,” Musk said. Tweet He also said that community notes, which allow people to work together to add context to their tweets, would be a “transformation” to that end.
The European Union’s DSA aims to control the power of social media networks and remove content deemed unhealthy from platforms. Companies that violate the rules can be fined up to 6% of their global annual turnover. At worst, the platform could get banned in the European Union.
The DSA will allow the European Commission to increase its powers to monitor and regulate large technology companies, designated as “gatekeepers” for compliance with EU antitrust rules.
“People can no longer say nonsense”
The EU is increasing pressure on Musk to force Twitter to comply with EU rules. After Musk acquired Twitter in his October, Breton said that if Twitter wanted to do business within the block, it “must follow our rules.” Breton also suggested that Musk should “increase” the number of content moderators on her EU platform.
In early May, before Musk acquired Twitter, Breton told big bosses that his plans for free speech on Twitter would be constrained by EU content moderation requirements.
“He is fully aware of the conditions for Twitter to continue operating in Europe,” Breton said at the time. “He needs to publish his algorithms. We will have control, we will have access, and people can no longer say shit.”
In late November, Prime Minister Bretton reiterated the EU’s stance on Twitter by calling for stronger online moderation. , as we need to protect free speech, tackle disinformation resolutely, and limit targeted advertising,” he told Musk by phone.
In mid-December, new tensions emerged between Twitter and the EU. This is because the platform has suspended several journalists for violating its new policy on doxxing (i.e., disclosure of personal information).European Commission Vice-President Vera Youlova called the ‘arbitrary suspension’ of reporters ‘worrying’
“This is being enhanced under #MediaFreedomAct. @elonmusk must be aware of it,” Jourova said in a tweet. “There’s a red line. And sanctions soon.”
Threats to Free Speech in the United States
Concerns about free speech have been raised regarding the EU’s DSA regulation. Others point out that if one EU member state decides that certain content should be removed, that content could be blocked EU-wide for her. This could give certain authoritarian governments the power to control online speech across blocks.
There are also concerns about the EU imposing hate speech laws on the US. At the recent World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Jourova suggested that legislation on hate speech would be introduced in the United States, subject to criminal penalties similar to those in some European countries.
In an interview with the Epoch Times, Sherries Trump, executive director of Washington-based free speech advocacy group Speech First, is “horrified” of EU members talking about hate speech laws coming to the US. called.
“Why do we expect them to provide any guidance on this matter? Why do they think they have any authority to tell us how to operate? “We have a very different culture than them, we have a very liberal free speech clause in our constitution,” she said.
Trump said the United States has a long history of insisting there is no exception to “hate speech” in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This is due to “the logical reason that we cannot tell anyone the definition of hate speech”.