SAN FRANCISCO: The EU’s top tech enforcer warned Elon Musk on Thursday that Twitter must have adequate resources to monitor dangerous materials by August 25 or face violating the bloc’s new regulations governing big tech.
Following a visit to Twitter headquarters with the platform’s new CEO, Linda Yaccarino, EU commissioner Thierry Breton told reporters that if the technology is not ready, they must have the resources to fill the gap. He said that he discussed this matter with Elon Musk.
Breton stated to the Twitter staff, via videoconference from New York, that “there are a few areas that will be critical immediately when the regulation will be enforceable.” According to Breton, this would include “particularly everything related to child abuse, which is a very hot topic for us in Europe, as well as disinformation in elections.”
The commissioner’s two-day visit to San Francisco occurred only weeks before the European Union’s Digital Service Act (DSA) becomes fully operational for the world’s largest platforms, including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, as well as TikTok and Twitter. In addition, the former French finance minister will meet with Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg to discuss the new laws.
But all eyes are on Musk, who, since taking over Twitter, has changed several restrictions concerning what language is permitted on the site, even if it is deemed offensive or spreads hate and misinformation – directly contradicting the EU’s new guidelines. Breton’s meeting with Musk at Twitter was part of a “stress test” to see if the platform was ready for the new requirements, despite a significant wave of layoffs since Musk took over.
TikTok has also agreed to a stress test in July, as the Chinese-owned app fights claims that it is under the control of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing.
