Twitter could face ban over content moderation, EU warns

The EU has warned Elon Musk that Twitter could face a ban unless its strict rules on content moderation are followed, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. 

EU industry chief Thierry Breton made the threat during a video meeting with Musk, the leading financial daily said, citing people with knowledge of the conversation.

Breton told Musk he must adhere to a checklist of rules, including ditching an “arbitrary” approach to reinstating banned users, according to the report.

The EU official confirmed the meeting in a statement, saying: "I welcome Elon Musk’s statements of intent to get Twitter 2.0 ready" for the Digital Services Act (DSA). The EU legislation regulates digital services that act as intermediaries in connecting consumers with goods, services, and content. It entered into force on Nov. 16.

"I am pleased to hear that he has read it carefully and considers it as a sensible approach to implement on a worldwide basis," Breton said, adding: "But let’s also be clear that there is still huge work ahead, as Twitter will have to implement transparent user policies, significantly reinforce content moderation and protect freedom of speech, tackle disinformation with resolve, and limit targeted advertising."  

Twitter 2.0

Musk, the Tesla billionaire who completed his $44 billion Twitter takeover in October, did not comment on the report but retweeted a post about Twitter 2.0, the platform’s "continued commitment to the public conversation."

The latest blog post by the Twitter Team said "we are a new company embarking on a new chapter, but our steadfast commitment to this mission has not changed."

It said that “none of our policies have changed. Our approach to policy enforcement will rely more heavily on de-amplification of violative content: freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach.”

The statement said that the company's Trust & Safety team “continues its diligent work to keep the platform safe from hateful conduct, abusive behavior, and any violation of Twitter's rules.”

“We remain committed to providing a safe, inclusive, entertaining, and informative experience for everyone," the post read, and added: "We will continue to be transparent as we move through this transition period. And we will listen to you, the people who make Twitter what it is: the town square of the internet.”

Since taking over, the 51-year-old has sacked roughly half of the company’s 8,000 workers, reinstated previously banned accounts on the platform, including that of former US President Donald Trump, and also announced an “amnesty” for suspended accounts, prompting concerns about rise is disinformation and hate speech.