Elon Musk was informed by a high-ranking representative of the European Union that Twitter needed to progress as it gears for a new rule intended to limit hate speech, misinformation, and other harmful content, according to a report by AP on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Digital Services Act
Musk and EU Commissioner Thierry Breton spoke via video conference to discuss Twitter's readiness for the upcoming implementation of the new Digital Services Act regulations.
According to a transcript of the conversation, Breton assured Musk that he is watchful over the tools and resources Twitter is allocating to address trust and safety issues throughout the 27-nation bloc.
Breton pointed out that Twitter has pledged to abide by the new EU rules, which will begin to apply to the largest internet platforms by September.
"Good meeting with @ThierryBreton regarding EU DSA. The goals of transparency, accountability & accuracy of information are aligned with ours.@CommunityNotes will be transformational for the latter," Musk said in a tweet.
"I take note of the path that Twitter is committed to take in Europe to comply with #DSA rules. Next few months will be crucial to transform commitments into reality," Breton tweeted.
Breton had forewarned Musk on a previous call in November that the social media company must adhere to the new regulations in Europe.
The Digital Services Act is a component of the EU's revision of its digital regulations, which aims to limit the influence of social media and online platform corporations and eliminate harmful information.
A company that violates the rules faces fines of up to 6% of its annual global revenue or potentially a ban on doing business in the EU.
Breton Warns TikTok
EU Commissioner Breton also cautioned the CEO of TikTok to follow the new regulations in order to prevent the social media from being banned during a video chat last month.
If TikTok does not increase its efforts to comply with the Digital Services Act by September, it may be banned in the European Union. Breton said that the bloc would not hesitate to adopt the full sanctions to protect EU citizens if TikTok's audits do not show full compliance.
He said that it is never acceptable for users to easily access content that is viewed as hazardous behind the scenes of purportedly amusing and innocent features, given that the app targets younger audiences.
TikTok said it has committed to the DSA and has laid out its plans to abide by this EU law. This includes a code of conduct on disinformation and GDPR data protection regulations.
According to Caroline Greer, director of public policy and government relations, the app's top concern is its users' safety.
Related Article : EU Official Warns Elon Musk of Enabling Russian Propaganda on Twitter if He Doesn't Fight Disinformation
