EU Official Warns Elon Musk of Enabling Russian Propaganda on Twitter if He Doesn't Fight Disinformation

One of the senior representatives of the European Union cautioned Elon Musk against enabling Russian President Vladimir Putin's propaganda if Twitter fails to fight disinformation, especially amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova, who is driving efforts to combat online disinformation, failing to address fraudulent or misleading content online might lead to the abuse of Twitter, which could lead to Russian propaganda proliferating on the platform.

She claims that if Twitter is not actively preventing Russian propaganda or disinformation, it would support the war.

Dangerous Endeavor

"This would be a very tricky and maybe dangerous endeavor or adventure for Mr. Musk who wants to be seen as somebody who is helping Ukraine," Jourova said in an interview with Bloomberg.

She made reference to the billionaire's internet support to the war-torn country, his Starlink satellite system that has been keeping Ukrainian residents and military forces connected throughout the war.

Her remarks are the most recent cautionary tale regarding the potential negative effects of widespread layoffs and resignations following Musk's $44 billion purchase of the bird app, including its capacity to adhere to EU laws, such as their General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and new Digital Services Act (DSA).

Jourova said that the billionaire owner pledged to restore free speech to Twitter shouldn't undervalue the EU or the severe penalties Twitter might eventually be subject to if it disobeys the bloc's regulations.

The DSA targets damaging content and misinformation on platforms. It is still in its early stages, and Twitter has a lot of work to do in the following months to adhere before enforcement begins early next year.

Fines for Violating the Law

According to the law, fines for violations of the GDPR can cost up to 4% of Twitter's annual global revenues, while fines for legal violations can reach 6%. The commission has also promised to put Twitter's efforts to abide by content moderation laws to a "stress test" in 2023.

Jourova claims that Musk does not seem to have enough understanding that the region is "advanced." She reminded him of how the EU has spent many years deciding on how to handle the digital realm and that regulation is something that must be respected by anyone who wants to do business in their territory.

Musk's takeover of Twitter did not start out smoothly. For the most part, it has found itself on controversial water after many of its workers fled from the company after Musk declared a "hardcore" work ultimatum.

Yoel Roth, Twitter's former trust and safety head, was one of the many employees who resigned from the company. He recently said in an interview that Twitter is not safer under Musk's era.