Twitter Could Face Europe Ban After Failure To Comply With EU's Disinformation Rules

Twitter could face a ban in Europe if it doesn't comply with the European Union's code. Recently, Twitter withdrew from a voluntary rulebook that's called the "EU voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation." During an interview with France Info, France's Digital Minister Jean-No?l Barrot threatened that Twitter could face a ban in Europe if the social media company doesn't comply with the disinformation rule.

"Disinformation is one of the gravest threats weighing on our democracies," Barrot said. "Twitter, if it repeatedly doesn¡¯t follow our rules, will be banned from the EU."

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"Twitter can't hide"

The code, that also includes signatories like Meta, Alphabet, and Microsoft isn't mandatory but is part of obligations that tech companies will have to compulsorily follow as part of the Digital Services Act that will go into effect this August in the European Union.

Referring to Twitter's withdrawal from the code, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton wrote on Twitter - "Twitter leaves EU voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation. But obligations remain. You can run but you can¡¯t hide. Beyond voluntary commitments, fighting disinformation will be legal obligation under DSA as of August 25. Our teams will be ready for enforcement."

Twitter leaves EU voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation.

But obligations remain. You can run but you can¡¯t hide.

Beyond voluntary commitments, fighting disinformation will be legal obligation under #DSA as of August 25.

Our teams will be ready for enforcement.

¡ª Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) May 26, 2023

Reuters

Also read: New Twitter CEO Says It's 'Game On' In Response To Meta's Upcoming 'Twitter Clone'

This is particularly interesting because when Elon Musk bought Twitter last year, he said that one of the key factors driving his purchase was his commitment to ensure freedom of expression and transparency. To fight fake news, Musk introduced Community Notes that allow select Twitter users to add context to Tweets.

If Twitter fails to comply with the soon-to-be-enforced Digital Services Act, Twitter could face a ban or fines amounting to 6% of the company's global turnover.

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Also read: Elon Musk Teases New Twitter Features Including Voice Calls And Encrypted DMs

Since his Twitter takeover, Elon Musk has slimmed the workforce tremendously. The company had under 8,000 employees at the time of acquisition but now has less than 1,500 employees. Earlier, EU officials expressed concerns over whether Twitter has enough staff to comply with the digital rules after layoffs.

What do you think about Twitter's future in Europe? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.