Twitter leaves EU code of practice against disinformation, regulators warn
Twitter pulls out of EU code of conduct on online disinformation
Publish Date – 06:20 AM Sun – 28 May 23
London: Elon Musk-run Twitter has withdrawn from the European Union’s code of practice on online misinformation – a move that hasn’t gone down well with regulators.
EU Internal Market Commissioner, Thierry Breton said on Saturday Twitter Can’t hide from the legal liability that comes in the field.
“Twitter leaves the EU voluntary code of practice against disinformation. But the obligations remain. You can run but you can’t hide,” Breton posted in a tweet.
The platform is legally required to comply as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA) of the European Union.
“Beyond voluntary commitments, there will be a legal obligation to fight disinformation under the #DSA by 25 August. Our teams will stand ready for enforcement,” Breton warned on Twitter.
As TechCrunch reports, the law, which went into effect back in November, requires VLOPs like Twitter to assess and mitigate systemic risks to civil discourse and electoral processes.
The VLOP deadline for compliance with the obligations in the DSA is three months from now.
in April the European Union Warned Twitter on spreading disinformation and promoting Kremlin agenda.
In a tweet, Vera Jourova, vice-president for values and transparency in the EU, said it was a “negative signal from Twitter on not yet making the digital information space any safer and free from Kremlin misinformation and malicious influence”.
Twitter has been confirmed as one of 19 major tech platforms subject to centralized oversight by the European Union under the new Digital Services Act (DSA).
The DSA requires major social media platforms to take steps to reduce systemic risks such as misinformation, and failure to do so could invite penalties of up to 6 percent of their global annual turnover.
The EU DSA wants social media platforms to adopt a code of conduct by August this year, as well as maintain independent auditing and share data with relevant authorities.