UNITED STATES: Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has embarked on a concerted effort to curb the proliferation of illegal content. The company, formerly known as Twitter, revealed that it has removed hundreds of accounts with ties to Hamas and either taken down or labelled thousands of pieces of content associated with the militant group.
Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, addressed these measures in response to a request from European Commissioner Thierry Breton, the digital enforcer for the European Union. Yaccarino assured that X is proactively and effectively addressing fake and manipulated content amidst the rapidly evolving crisis.
Under the newly enacted Digital Services Act of the EU, social media platforms face stringent regulations, necessitating rigorous monitoring and the removal of illegal content under the threat of substantial fines.
Yaccarino emphasized the social media platforms unequivocal stance against terrorist organizations and violent extremist groups. She affirmed, “There is no place on X for terrorist organizations or violent extremist groups, and we continue to remove such accounts in real-time, including proactive efforts.”
In addition to removals, the social media platform has also implemented a labelling system for content, and Community Notes, a feature enabling users to add their fact-checks, is now visible on thousands of posts, reaching millions of impressions.
Since its acquisition by billionaire Elon Musk and subsequent rebranding, the platform formerly known as Twitter has faced scrutiny for allegedly promoting falsehoods. A study commissioned by the EU identified it as the worst-performing platform for online disinformation, further contributing to concerns regarding its reliability.
Rival platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook are likewise grappling with the surge of unverified rumours and falsehoods surrounding the Middle Eastern conflict, a recurring challenge whenever a global news event garners widespread attention.
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