The EU is conducting an investigation into Elon Musk’s platform, X, over concerns related to the potentially terrorist and violent content, as well as hate speech, following the recent attacks by Hamas on Israel.
Social media companies have observed a surge in misinformation concerning the conflict between Israel and Hamas, including altered images and wrongly labelled videos.
Hamas is categorized as a terrorist organization by the EU. The group carried out deadly attacks in Israel last weekend, resulting in the taking of hostages and loss of lives. Concurrently, Israel responded with airstrikes, causing casualties in Gaza.
The UN’s Food Programme has highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, with shortages of food and water due to an Israeli siege. Israel has stated that the blockade will continue until its hostages are released.
This investigation marks the first under the EU’s new tech regulations and will also examine how X handles complaints. X stated that it had removed numerous Hamas-affiliated accounts from its platform. Additionally, TikTok and Meta have received warnings from the EU for insufficiently addressing disinformation.
According to the EU’s industry chief, Theirry Breton, the EU has asked X for more information to make sure it’s complying with the Digital Services Act, which aims to safeguard users on tech platforms.
In a letter, he raised concerns about “violent and terrorist content” on X despite prior warnings. While specific details regarding the disinformation were not provided, it mentioned the widespread occurrence of “fake and manipulated images and facts” on the popular social media platform.
X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, mentioned the removal of Hamas-affiliated accounts and the action taken on tens of thousands of pieces of content since the attack in response to the letter. Elon Musk also emphasized the company’s commitment to transparency and requested a list of the alleged violations to ensure public visibility.
Add Comment