2023-10-13 12:48:50
Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel is increasingly becoming a litmus test for how to deal with the spread of illegal, if not terrorist, content on social media. A heated dispute has broken out between the EU Commission and the short message platform X. Brussels is now also taking action against Tiktok.
Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton warns US billionaire Elon Musk that Platform X will be forcibly shut down if he does not effectively curb the growing number of illegal content. The commission opened a formal investigation into X on Thursday evening. She gave the company until next Wednesday to explain how its “crisis protocol” works, i.e. how it deals with potentially risky content.
Penalty of 6 percent of total sales possible
If the EU Commission determines at the end of the investigation that there is a violation of EU law, the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into force in the summer, imposes a fine of up to 6 percent of sales Breton made it clear to German journalists in Brussels. If nothing happens, the EU can order the platform to be shut down with the intervention of a judge. “I’m not threatening anyone,” said the Frenchman. “But everyone knows that a law must be effectively implemented. This is clearly stated in the Digital Services Act.”
This intensifies the dispute between the Commission and X over the obligations that the DSA imposes on platform operators. Since August 25th, the major digital companies across Europe have been obliged to take consistent action against illegal content on their platforms and to set up effective reporting channels for complaints.
X leadership did not address the objectionable content
In a letter on Tuesday evening, Breton gave Musk a 24-hour deadline to take consistent action against the spread of illegal content in connection with the Hamas terrorist attack. On Thursday evening, in a similar letter, he also gave Tiktok boss Shou Zi Chew a deadline of 24 hours to do just that. Tiktok has a special responsibility towards children and young people to protect themselves from violent content and terrorist propaganda as well as life-threatening content, writes Breton.
Musk had replied to the Breton letter on X that it should list the violations and otherwise appeared to be clueless. X boss Linda Yaccarino, in turn, listed the general platform rules and the measures taken against illegal content in her answer, without directly addressing the reports mentioned by Breton about the distribution of manipulated images or the use of material from video games for manipulation.
Marcus Jung, Hendrik Kafsack and Roland Lindner Published/Updated: Recommendations: 30 Hendrik Wieduwilt Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 4 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3
The temporary shutdown threatened by Breton is envisaged in the DSA as a last resort. It is linked to high hurdles. The prerequisite is that a platform does not comply with the supervisory request “that the violation causes serious harm and that the violation constitutes a criminal offense that threatens the life or safety of persons.” It must be ordered by the responsible judicial authorities of the country in which the company has its EU headquarters. In the case of X that would be Ireland.
The new rules mean a big change for the platforms; it is the first time that they have been forced to face such obligations, Breton said in the interview. So far, all companies have shown themselves to be cooperative. Breton also reminded Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg of his obligations.
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