Musk lashed by the European Union over ‘illegal’ Israel posts

A major international regulator has told Elon Musk that X is spreading “illegal content and disinformation” in an open letter.

The EU has warned Elon Musk that his platform X, formerly Twitter, is spreading “illegal content and disinformation”, in a letter made public in a Tweet.

The letter, released on Wednesday by EU’s digital chief Thierry Breton, said concerns had heightened after the Hamas attack against Israel.

The EU warns Elon Musk’s platform X (formerly Twitter) of spreading illegal content and disinformation in the wake of conflict in Israel and Gaza. Picture: Mandel Ngan

It demanded Musk respond to the complaint within 24 hours and contact “relevant law enforcement authorities”.

Following the terrorist attacks by Hamas against 🇮🇱, we have indications of X/Twitter being used to disseminate illegal content & disinformation in the EU.

Urgent letter to @elonmusk on #DSA obligations ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/avMm1LHq54

— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) October 10, 2023

Mr Breton, the European Union’s commissioner for industry and the digital economy, is charged with regulating internet giants that operate within the bloc, and has the power to launch legal action.

The letter was made public on Musk’s social media platform – X. Picture: Nathan Howard

“Following the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel, we have indications that your platform is being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU,” Breton wrote.

Breton reminded Musk that EU law sets tough rules on moderating content, “especially when it comes to violent and terrorist content that appears to circulate on your platform”.

He asked that X respond to the complaint within 24 hours and also contact Europol, the EU police co-ordinating agency.

“We will include your answer in our assessment file on your compliance with the DSA,” Breton said, referring to the new EU Digital Services Act, which regulates online platforms.

“I remind you that following the opening of a potential investigation and a finding of noncompliance, penalties can be imposed,” it said.

EU’s digital chief Thierry Breton demanded Musk respond to the complaint within 24 hours and contact relevant law enforcement authorities. Picture: Kenzo Tribouillard

Musk, responded moments later on X to a user who had posted the letter, and invited Mr Breton to “please list the violations you allude to”.

“Our policy is that everything is open source and transparent, an approach that I know the EU supports,” he wrote.

Hate and violence

The EU has previously complained that, among the large-scale internet platforms that fall under the DSA remit, Musk’s X spreads the biggest proportion of online disinformation.

In August, when the new law came into effect, Musk replied to a post by Mr Breton promising that the platform was “working hard” to comply, but there have been more warning signs.

Breton reminded Musk that EU law sets tough rules on moderating content, especially when it comes to “violent and terrorist” content. Israel has launched sustained retaliatory air strikes after a large-scale attack by Hamas. Picture: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images

While the rules were still voluntary, the firm pulled out of an oversight group, and Musk – a self-styled “free speech absolutist” – has been dismissive of criticism in his posts.

In September, the Space X and Tesla founder boasted that he had cut half of the platform’s global team dedicated to monitoring and limiting disinformation and fraud around significant elections.

Since Saturday’s shock attack on Israeli communities by the Hamas militant group, web platforms have been swamped by posts containing fake or misrepresented reports and footage.

While the confirmed death toll in the renewed war has now passed 3,000 – unconfirmed, exaggerated or false reports of atrocities have also proliferated.

Experts fear these moves have increased the risk of misinformation provoking real-world harm, amplifying hate and violence.

– With AFP