Musk is told his platform, now known as X, must comply with new laws designed to combat fake news and Russian propaganda

The EU has issued a warning to Elon Musk to comply with sweeping new laws on fake news and Russian propaganda, after X – formerly known as Twitter – was found to have the highest ratio of disinformation posts of all large social media platforms.

The report analysed the ratio of disinformation for a new report laying bare for the first time the scale of fake news on social media across the EU, with millions of fake accounts removed by TikTok and LinkedIn.

Facebook was the second worst offender, according to the first ever report recording posts that will be deemed illegal across the EU under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into force in August.

Nevertheless, Facebook and other tech giants, including Google, TikTok and Microsoft, have signed up to the code of practice the EU drew up to ensure they could get ready in time to operate within the confines of the new laws.

Twitter left the code of practice but it is obliged under the new law to comply with the rules or face a ban across the EU.

  • thecrotch@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    28·
    1 year ago

    Well for one they both have laws that social media must remove what they consider disinformation. It was a huge controversy when reddit et al agreed to abide by Chinas rules, and now people are attacking them for not abiding by the same rule from the EU.

    • stephen01king@lemmy.zipEnglish
      71·
      1 year ago

      I never knew images of Winnie the Pooh is considered misinformation in China. Oh wait, no its not, they’re just banning it because Xi Jinping’s ego is so fragile that it can’t even handle some harmless memes making fun of him.

      To me, that’s the perfect example of the difference between what China is doing and what the EU is doing.

      • thecrotch@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        11·
        1 year ago

        So you’re ok with banning political speech so long as you can post pictures of a cartoon bear?

        • stephen01king@lemmy.zipEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          In what world is political speech considered misinformation. Misinformation by definition is something that doesn’t reflect actual facts. Political speech is just opinions.

          If you believe certain political speeches overlap with the definition of misinformation, why would you even defend such a thing?

          • thecrotch@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            1·
            1 year ago

            In what world is political speech considered misinformation

            When someone declares it misinformation, like trump calling every story he didn’t like “fake news”. It’s really fashy and the people applauding the EU for this today will end up regretting it later.

            • stephen01king@lemmy.zipEnglish
              1·
              1 year ago

              Well, then that’s another major difference between what the EU is doing and what China is doing. No person would have the power to singularly decide what is misinformation.