EU Slammed for Threats on Meta Over Hamas ‘Misinformation’

The European Union (EU) has received backlash and anger from people who allege the organization thwarts freedom of expression after the commission threatened Meta with misinformation about the Israel war.

This comes as the EU sought to remind Meta, in a letter to its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, of the “obligations regarding content moderation under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).” The DSA came into effect on Aug. 25 and requires social media platforms to assess the risk of spreading false information, among others.

The ultimatum

In a letter to Meta, which was posted on social media, the bloc’s industry chief, Thierry Breton, told Zuckerberg that he had 24 hours to tell him about the “effective” and “proportionate” measures they had taken to counter the misinformation spread on his platforms about the Israel war.

He added that Meta was supposed to prove beyond doubt that it had “taken timely, diligent, and objective action” to counter the misinformation.

“I urgently invite you to ensure that your systems are effective. Needless to say, I also expect you to be in contact with the relevant law enforcement authorities and Europol and ensure that you respond promptly to any request,” wrote Breton.

While Breton maintained in the letter that the DSA was meant to protect “free speech against arbitrary decisions and, at the same time, protect our citizens and democracies,” some users on the X platform felt otherwise.

To them, the DSA stands for “Dictatorial Silencing Act,” only meant to thwart free speech.

“No, it’s a tool for silencing free speech,” responded Cornelius.

Another user, under the name Lawyerforlaws, wrote: “I am an adult;, I don’t need anyone or some entity to protect, decide, decipher, or interpret for me.”

In the warnings, Breton emphasized the need to comply with EU laws and regulations. As such, social media platforms are compelled to remove any deepfakes from their platforms.

The #DSA is here to protect free speech against arbitrary decisions, and at the same time protect our citizens & democracies.

My requests to #Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg following the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel — and on tackling disinformation in elections in the EU ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/RnetUriRJX

— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) October 11, 2023

Meta to ensure compliance with local laws

A Meta spokesperson told the BBC that the social media giant, which owns Facebook and Instagram, had assembled a team to ensure its platforms were safe and be watchful for any harmful content.

“After the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel on Saturday, we quickly established a special center staffed with experts, including fluent Hebrew and Arabic speakers, to closely monitor and respond to this rapidly evolving situation,” said the spokesperson.

“Our teams are working around the clock to keep our platforms safe, take action on content that violates our policies or local law, and coordinate with third-party fact-checkers in the region to limit the spread of misinformation. We’ll continue this work as the conflict unfolds.”

Since the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7, there has been a surge in misinformation about the conflict on social media platforms, with an increase in doctored images and videos.

Also read: Hamas No Longer Welcome on Binance Crypto Exchange

X not spared

Earlier in the week, Breton also wrote a letter to X owner Elon Musk, warning that some “terrorist” material had not been removed from the platform.

Breton did not specify which deepfakes he was referring to but added that there were still some “fake and manipulated images and facts” reported on the X platform.

“I therefore invite you to urgently ensure that your systems are effective and report on the crisis measures taken by my team,” he said in his letter, which he also shared on social media.

Musk responded with a request for Breton to outline the alleged violations in question.

“Please list the violations you allude to on X so that the public can see them,” retaliated Musk.

Breton, however, said Musk was aware of users’ reports on fake content and “the glorification of violence.” He added that it was up to Musk to “demonstrate that you walk the talk.”

X CEO Linda Yaccarino later said the platform had removed hundreds of accounts following the EU ultimatum.

“X is committed to transparency, safety, and successful implementation of the Digital Services Act and will continue to take all appropriate steps to that end,” she said.

Prior to this, EU Vice President Věra Jourová asked tech giants on Oct. 10 to be more responsible in fighting the spread of Russian disinformation.

In September, the EU published a study that found that the X platform played a key role in Russian propaganda about “Ukraine reaching more people than before the war began.”

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• Source: https://metanews.com/eu-commissioner-slammed-for-threats-on-meta-over-hamas-misinformation/