EU publishes report criticizing X for the handling of disinformation and misinformation
X (or the former Twitter) could now be getting itself into some trouble with the European Union due to misinformation. The EU has released a report claiming the platform has a big role in the spread of false information, reports Engadget.
The new report is a part of the DSA or the Digital Services Act. The legislation was recently adopted and went into effect, and it’s centered on big tech platforms and their handling of misinformation. Additionally, there was a voluntary “Code of Practice”, specifically centered on disinformation, which many companies have agreed on. X, however, pulled out of the agreement in May. The recently published report says that there is a large volume of disinformation on the platform, and criticized the engagement such posts attract. European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said that X is the platform with the largest ratio of mis or disinformation posts, followed by Facebook and Instagram.
X did answer the report in a series of tweets, underlining that it is staying committed to complying with the DSA.
We disagree with the overall framing of this data and believe that the data does not fit the narrative being covered in the media. This important debate should take into account the full range of actions taken by platforms & recognize the importance of protecting free expression
— Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) September 26, 2023
Jourova also stated that all the big social media platforms need to act accordingly to the ‘war in the information space’. She also said the EU will be watching what X does on the problem going forward.
