European Commissioner Thierry Breton has issued a warning to top social media players in Silicon Valley, urging them to take immediate action to curb the spread of disinformation regarding the Israel-Hamas war. In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Breton highlighted the surge of illegal content on certain platforms following terrorist attacks, emphasizing the need for effective systems to combat this issue. He demanded a response within 24 hours and encouraged Meta to inform the commission about their efforts to tackle deepfakes, especially in light of upcoming European elections.
This conflict poses one of the first significant tests for the EU's Digital Services Act, which recently came into effect. Under this legislation, social media companies such as Meta and X (formerly Twitter) are required to increase their content moderation capabilities and implement risk mitigation strategies to limit the propagation of harmful content. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in fines up to 6% of annual revenue or potential expulsion from the bloc for recurrent rule violations.
In response to Breton's letter, a spokesperson from Meta stated that the company had established a special operations center staffed with language experts to monitor content on their platforms, specifically focusing on Hebrew and Arabic. They assured that their teams are working tirelessly to maintain platform safety, take action against policy and law-violating content, and collaborate with third-party fact-checkers in the region to combat misinformation. Meta pledged to continue these efforts as the conflict unfolds.
Breton also sent a similar letter to Elon Musk, the owner of X, expressing concern over illegal content spread via his social network and calling for swift action to address the issue. Musk, in turn, responded to Breton's claims through public posts, suggesting that concerns should be discussed on his social network rather than exchanged through letters or other channels.
Despite the previous cordial relationship between Musk and Breton, their recent exchanges indicate potential strain. In June, during Breton's visit to Silicon Valley, they had a meeting where Musk agreed, through a video, to adhere to the EU's content moderation principles. However, with the recent dispute over illegal content, tensions seem to be mounting.
On Wednesday, Breton created an account on Bluesky, expressing his preference for the platform, mentioning it being less crowded and more human without the presence of bots. This move further highlights the evolving dynamics between regulators and social media giants as they navigate the challenges of disinformation and content moderation in today's digital landscape.