Michelle ThompsonElon Musk, the owner of X, claims that the platform is “transparent,” yet reports of misinformation since the conflict started claim it is difficult to tell the truth.
According to a senior European Union official who issued a warning that transgressions of the bloc’s regulations could result in sanctions, the social media platform X is allegedly being used to disseminate unlawful content and misinformation amid the ongoing escalation between Palestine and Israel.
The EU commissioner for the internal market, Thierry Breton, claimed there are clear indications that violent and terrorist content is shared on X in an open letter to the platform’s billionaire owner, Elon Musk.
He replied, “We have reports of possibly unlawful content spreading on your service despite flags from appropriate authorities from qualified sources.
According to Breton, the platform should have adequate and efficient mitigation measures in place to address the hazards that misinformation poses to public safety and civic dialogue.
“I therefore invite you to urgently ensure that your systems are effective, and report on the crisis measures taken to my team,” he added, adding that Musk is expected to communicate with and work with the relevant law enforcement authorities, including Europol.
Also from Breton: “I urge you to ensure a prompt, accurate, and complete response to this request within the next 24 hours.”
Musk replied, “Our objective is that everything is open source and transparent, a strategy I know the EU supports. Please make a list of the violations you mention on X so that everyone may see them.
Breton replied, “You are completely aware of reports about fraudulent content and the glorification of violence from your users and authorities. It’s up to you to show that you are a walking contradiction.
Since the start of the current Middle East war on Saturday, allegations of widespread disinformation on X have been received. Examples include old material that has been mislabeled or altered to appear to be new, or even video game footage. Because of all the fake posts, users complained that it was impossible to discover accurate information.
Since purchasing X (formerly known as Twitter) last year, Musk has been under fire for restoring users who had been suspended for posting fraudulent content, dismantling business teams intended to control misinformation, and obfuscating the distinction between legitimately verified accounts and accounts whose owners paid to be “verified.” According to detractors, the website has turned into a refuge for harassment and misinformation.
Israeli forces have responded to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territory by launching a persistent and forceful military operation against the Gaza Strip, escalating tensions in the Middle East dramatically. The conflict started when Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multifaceted surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air. According to Hamas, this was in retaliation for the Israeli settlers’ increasing violence against Palestinians and the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.
The Israeli military started Operation Swords of Iron on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas’ activities. Israel’s response has included cutting off Gaza’s access to water and electricity, further deteriorating the living circumstances in a region that has been under a crushing embargo since 2007.
