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French regulator warns about misinformation, hate on Twitter amid Musk shakeup

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France’s digital regulator has requested Twitter to substantiate that it might nonetheless meet its authorized obligations to reasonable dangerous content material and misinformation as the corporate undergoes a serious reorganization, together with layoffs of half the corporate’s workforce, beneath the possession of Elon Musk.

The pinnacle of Arcom, the French regulator for digital and audiovisual communication, expressed “deep concern” in a letter to Twitter about how the chaos and employees erosion which have characterised Musk’s first weeks as proprietor and CEO since his $44 billion buy of Twitter final month may have an effect on the corporate’s potential to “keep a protected atmosphere for customers of its service” in France.

Roch-Olivier Maistre, president of Arcom, famous within the letter, dated Friday, that Twitter “is likely one of the most used on-line platforms in France,” and mentioned the turmoil on the firm “raises systemic points relating to the faithfulness of democratic debate and the general public security.”

He gave Twitter till Nov. 24 to answer Arcom’s issues.

Twitter didn’t reply to a request for remark from The Washington Publish in regards to the letter.

Musk’s ‘free speech’ agenda dismantles security work at Twitter, insiders say

It comes as authorities in the US and in Europe vow to take a better have a look at what is occurring at Twitter, amid stories {that a} skeleton employees is working the platform, and as Musk reinstates controversial accounts that had been identified for spreading dangerous content material — together with these of former president Donald Trump and the Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson — however whose suspensions led to criticism that Twitter was repressing its customers’ freedom of speech.

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Twitter, the letter mentioned, is answerable for combating in opposition to “the manipulation of knowledge” and “the dissemination of on-line hate speech” on its platform beneath French legislation, and Arcom is answerable for making certain that Twitter adheres to its obligations, together with on transparency. On the identical time, Twitter ought to respect its customers’ freedom of expression, it mentioned.

If Twitter fails to implement measures to reasonable on-line hate, the regulator has the ability to place the platform on discover and, in some instances, impose fines of as much as $20.5 million, or 6 % of worldwide income for the earlier fiscal 12 months.

After Musk accomplished his takeover of Twitter in late October, he appointed himself CEO, fired high executives and minimize half of the corporate’s workforce. He mentioned he would type a “content material moderation council with extensively numerous viewpoints” that will make future selections on content material moderation and suspended accounts.

The scenario has affected Twitter’s European operations: Over the weekend, the top of Twitter for France, Damien Viel, introduced that he was leaving the corporate. He didn’t make clear whether or not he stop or was laid off.

“It’s over,” Viel tweeted.

In crises, officers tweet essential information. What if Twitter dies?

The letter from Arcom highlighted stories of the layoffs, and questioned whether or not Twitter may meet its obligations beneath French and E.U. legislation with a decreased workforce, asking for clarification on “the short-term evolution of the human and technological assets dedicated to compliance with these obligations.”

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Past the influence of the current layoffs, the regulator additionally mentioned it desires to make sure that Twitter can absolutely implement the Digital Companies Act, a sweeping piece of laws from the European Union that got here into drive final week, and imposes transparency restrictions on tech corporations.

Fueling hypothesis in regards to the European response to Musk’s takeover of Twitter was — appropriately sufficient — a tweet, after the acquisition was finalized, from Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Inside Market, through which Breton mentioned Twitter must adhere to European guidelines.

In an editorial for the New York Occasions printed final week, Yoel Roth, the previous head of belief and security at Twitter, wrote that “Twitter stays sure by the legal guidelines and laws of the nations through which it operates,” which may complicate Musk’s professed want without cost speech to drive extra selections at Twitter. “Regulators have vital instruments at their disposal to implement their will on Twitter and on Mr. Musk,” Roth added, citing the European Digital Companies Act.

The departure of Roth and different workers tasked with safety and compliance at Twitter after Musk’s takeover prompted the Federal Commerce Fee in the US to warn that it was ready to step in to confirm that the corporate was respecting the phrases of an settlement to make sure information safety and privateness for customers of the platform.

Twitter’s content material moderation head quits as departures alarm the FTC

As The Publish reported, Musk instructed Twitter workers in an e-mail that the corporate “will do no matter it takes to stick to each the letter and spirit” of its settlement with the FTC. “The identical goes for some other authorities regulatory issues the place Twitter operates,” he added.

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