Some experts believe that even Elon Musk could think of shutting down Twitter in Europe.
The social network Twitter has been completely withdrawn from the European Union ‘s code of practice against online disinformation.
The withdrawal could signal that owner Elon Musk is preparing to cease operations in Europe entirely, Euractiv reported .
All for a new law
The European Union is preparing for a new Digital Services Act (DSA) to come into force in August.
This mandate will set out the requirements for monitoring and flagging misinformation and will make the code agreement, which until now is voluntary, mandatory for social networks.
For the same reason, bloc officials indicated that they expected Musk to make the decision to withdraw from the code in the short term.
” Twitter abandons the EU voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation. But the obligations remain,” European Commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted. “You can run, but you can’t hide. Beyond voluntary commitments, fighting misinformation will be a legal obligation under #DSA starting August 25. Our teams will be ready for enforcement.”
Rules for Twitter
The DSA became a legislative priority for the European Commission after the 2021 Facebook leak, when whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed that Facebook and its parent company Meta were prioritizing profit over tackling rampant misinformation and racist hate speech. on the platform.
This law will force platforms like Twitter to enhance data verification and offer transparent warnings about political advertising. It won’t require the site to remove content, but it does require offering users ways to report illegal content.
Politico reported that Breton had previously warned Musk that Twitter could be banned in the European Union if it breaks the rules. For Musk, according to reports, this block is “a secondary market”, so his exit could be contemplated.