Elon Musk has until the end of Wednesday to respond to demands from Brussels to remove graphic images and disinformation linked to the violence in Israel from his social network X — or face the full force of Europe’s new social media rules.

Thierry Breton, the European Union commissioner who oversees the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA) rules, wrote to the owner of X, formerly Twitter, to warn Musk of his obligations under the bloc’s content rules.

If Musk fails to comply, the EU’s rules state X could face fines of up to 6 percent of its revenue for potential wrongdoing. Under the regulations, social media companies are obliged to remove all forms of hate speech, incitement to violence and other gruesome images or propaganda that promote terrorist organizations.

Since Hamas launched its violent attacks on Israel on October 7, X has been flooded with images, videos and hashtags depicting — in graphic detail — how hundreds of Israelis have been murdered or kidnapped. Under X’s own policies, such material should also be removed immediately.

  • @maynarkh@feddit.nl
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    1391 year ago

    This is some “quality” reporting. Nowhere does the EU says to remove “graphic violent images”, it’s only asking for transparency in what gets removed and the removal of disinformation and calls to violence.

    • @atetulo@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Thanks for clearing that up.

      Modern “journalists” are almost always scum.

  • @flossdaily@lemmy.world
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    711 year ago

    Getting rid of misinformation is great.

    Getting rid of accurately reported, gruesome images because of a government mandate flies in the face of the core principles of free speech. And it would cause real damage to the world.

    Remember that it was only when the world actually saw images of the Nazi concentration camps that the world actually believed it. They’d heard about it for years, but it was largely ignored.

    • Tarte
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      1 year ago

      Getting rid of misinformation is great.

      That is the goal. The OP article and especially the headline here is misleading.

      This is what is in the original letter regarding violent images: „repurposed old images of unrelated armed conflicts or military footage that actually originated from video games“.

      The issue is not violent images per se. The issue is misinformation through violent images that are unrelated to the current events.

      • @atetulo@lemm.ee
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        -121 year ago

        and other gruesome images or propaganda that promote terrorist organizations.

        Seems to me like this is a sly way to remove any videos where Hamas is successful.

        Which is weird, because seeing those videos usually gives more support for Israel.

        This whole law is fucked. Leave freedom of speech alone.

        • Tarte
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          Freedom of speech is mostly an American concept. In most European states we „only“ have freedom of expression and opinion (a human right). Deliberately spreading propaganda, agitation and fake news is not covered by freedom of expression and opinion. On the contrary, it can be a criminal offense.

          This is not the first time Musk thinks US laws apply to the whole world or that he is above the law of the countries his businesses operate in. A part of me hopes that he gets fined and then ignores the fine. He might just be stupid enough.

          See? I called him stupid. That is an expression of my opinion. Using images of violence from 2010 and claiming that they are from 2023 is not an opinion.

          • @atetulo@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            I think he should just take X out of the EU and watch the uproar when EU citizens can’t get their fix.

            Would really show who wears the pants in the relationship.

            Using images of violence from 2010 and claiming that they are from 2023 is not an opinion.

            I’m specifically referring to real videos accurately described in my previous comment.

            • @Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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              41 year ago

              EU citizens would grumble a bit, but then just switch over to other services like Treads and Mastodon. Many of our governments already did.

              We aren’t loyal to a specific company, we use what is the most convenient and doesn’t spit right in our faces.

              • @atetulo@lemm.ee
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                1 year ago

                I think the EU would change its rules to appease its citizens who are addicted to X.

                Same reason why the US would never ban tiktok. There would be an uproar of average people who don’t pay attention to these things wondering where their fix went.

                • @jarfil@lemmy.world
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                  41 year ago

                  I think the EU would change its rules to appease its citizens who are addicted to X.

                  It would not. The EU has funded Matrix/Element, Mastodon, even Lemmy has been developed using EU funding.

                  Facebook, 𝕏, Google, and similar US mega corps, can play by the rules or GTFO, the EU has alternatives.

    • qyron
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      131 year ago

      I respect that but the images presented to the public were selected to denounce and illustrate horrendous acts commited.

      Here, I’d risk there is a very high risk/probability whatever may be leaked/posted is for pure shock value, with no intention to inform or contextualize.

      • @davysnavy@lemmy.world
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        121 year ago

        Intent doesn’t matter. People should be allowed to document and post crimes committed against humanity

        • @Jax@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          The pictures are old and don’t relate to what’s happening currently.

          Also, what do you think the differences between pre-meditated murder and manslaughter are? Intent absolutely matters.

        • qyron
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          31 year ago

          Intent does matter. It is so inportant it is even relevant in courts of law.

          You want the images of the barbarism raging in Israel as we speak to be known to the world and that is a good thing. People need to see the acts being commited there.

          Yet twitter is not, in any way, the platform for it, as those same images are very easily twisted out of context and thrown out in a fashion that will only serve to further entrench extreme positions and used for sheer shock value.

          These are human lives being laid to waste, not a social media circus for browny points.

        • Cethin
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          21 year ago

          I’m not sure, but I believe this is only for social media sites. You can still document it, but social media isn’t the place. I assume you’d be able to link to that, but not to the images directly, but I’m just guessing.

        • qyron
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          31 year ago

          Yes, which requires an unbiase position, supplying all possible information.

          Nowadays, and even more when considering twitter, that is hardly the case.

            • qyron
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              31 year ago

              Which makes it even worse, I’d risk? If the said pictures are unrelated, why are those being pushed forward? Are we voluntarily trying to dumb ourselves?

    • @Spedwell@lemmy.world
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      551 year ago

      I’m glad to see for once the fines are proportional to revenue, and not a fixed amount. 6% hurts.

      • @Garbanzo@lemmy.world
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        111 year ago

        Will it hurt though? How are they going to collect the 6%? Do US based banks cooperate with the EU on this kind of thing? What happens if Musk just tells them to go fuck themselves?

        • Dr Cog
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          101 year ago

          I assume EU-based ISPs will be forced to ban access to the website for noncompliance, otherwise it would have literally no teeth whatsoever

            • @viking@infosec.pub
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              91 year ago

              Nah it’s pretty good for the internet. We also blocked Russian propaganda outlets and shit in the EU. It’s much nicer.

                • @Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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                  81 year ago

                  Our laws are older and much more robust than the ones in the US.

                  They also adapt with the times.

                  But that just might have to do with the fact that EU politics don’t cater that much to corporations but instead to the people that elected them.

        • @uis@lemmy.world
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          11 year ago

          Probably a lot of Xi tter customers headquatered in EU. They can say to their own banks to not send money.

    • kamenLady.
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      21 year ago

      Sorry, completely off topic and not the place, but …

      your comment is perfectly complemented by your username above it.

    • @pianoplant@lemmy.world
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      681 year ago

      You’re thinking of profit. Revenue is all money coming in before expenses. Revenue is still a big number even if they’re losing money.

    • @Squizzy@lemmy.world
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      81 year ago

      This is not toothless…well it is a bit in that they constantly warn instead of imposing the fines but 6% of revenue has fuck all to do with net profit(which is always positive or else it would be a loss).

    • @HughJanus@lemmy.ml
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      11 year ago

      EU can only penalize him on revenue (not profit) in the EU. So likely small fries compared to the billions of dollars of devaluation and advertiser revenue he’s already squandered on his crusade.

  • @Smacks@lemmy.world
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    221 year ago

    He won’t, we all know he won’t. He’d sooner get Twitter banned from Europe than actually try to improve his platform.

    • @Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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      21 year ago

      That is such a win though.

      Although the powers that manipulate Elmo won’t like it when they can’t manipulate the politics in the EU anymore.

  • @stolid_agnostic@lemmy.ml
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    151 year ago

    Is this the thing that finally makes Musk feel some pain? You can’t wiggle out of this one, EU law is pretty tight on this stuff.

    • be_excellent_to_each_other
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      91 year ago

      Is this the thing that finally makes Musk feel some pain?

      Not if his goal is to run Twitter into the ground. (And I’m about 3 months or so into believing it is.)

      • @stolid_agnostic@lemmy.ml
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        91 year ago

        Although I can understand that perspective, I honestly think that he’s actually just very, very dumb and completely clueless about how money actually works and how businesses function. He’s rich enough to never have had to learn any of that and spend his way through failure after failure. I am absolutely certain that he believed that he’d run in there, steer the ship right, and all would be well.

        • @Meowoem@sh.itjust.works
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          51 year ago

          Yeah absolutely, be thought that it was easy because he didn’t pause to consider any of the confounding factors - the same mistake he always makes, self drive to Mars bases he gets fixated on the fact it’s possible and doesn’t really consider the many things making it difficult.

          I think he thought that he’d go in and don’ta big lever that turns it from biasing the left and amplifying people hating billionaires then when he turned it off everyone would cheer and clap. He’s the typical idiot that has shitty political options and thinks everyone else secretly agrees bit only he’s breve enough to say it.

        • @emptiestplace@lemmy.ml
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          01 year ago

          Either you’re oblivious, or you’re being paid to prop up this “Elon’s just a big dummy” idea.

          You know he had a fair bit of involvement in some other businesses, right? His destructive behaviour has been on an entirely different level from the moment he acquired Twitter.

        • @HughJanus@lemmy.ml
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          01 year ago

          No he’s very smart in that he’s using Xitter to increase his influence, and thereby his wealth in the long term. Gonna cost him but he’ll probably come out net-positive, even if Xitter doesn’t.

  • Jaysyn
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    1 year ago

    If that is Net Revenue, I have some bad news for the EU. 🤣🤣🤣

    • @maynarkh@feddit.nl
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      711 year ago

      I think you’re thinking of profits, which is revenue minus costs.

      EU fines are a percentage of global revenue, which means all the money you make in any way, anywhere in the world, before subtracting any bullshit.

      • JohnEdwa
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        Which was $4.4 billion in 2022 and is estimated to be roughly $3 billion for 2023, so the maximum fine would be 180-264 million depending on which figure is used.
        For comparison, the net loss (not profit) for 2022 for twitter was 270 million.

        • @maynarkh@feddit.nl
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          141 year ago

          Per occasion, and the Commission can also create a moderation enforcement team specifically for Twitter, basically forcing Twitter to have moderation, and put the cost of said moderation on Twitter, as charges separate to the fine.

        • fmstrat
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          1 year ago

          Think your stats are off? You can see a post in my history with more EU focused math. If yours is better let me know and I’ll update ;)

    • @detalferous@lemm.ee
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      11 year ago

      The “brilliance” of Elon’s plan: he is impervious to EU fines because he doesn’t make any money.

    • ???
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      -21 year ago

      If that is gross revenue, I have bad news for the EU. “X” is, IIRC, operating in the red since Musk bought it.

      • @Airazz@lemmy.world
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        51 year ago

        It’s revenue, not profit. “X, formerly Twitter” still gets paid by advertisers, even if the amount is much lower than it used to be.

        • ???
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          11 year ago

          Ah. Alright, fair enough, thanks for correcting my mistake.

  • @Wilibus@lemmy.world
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    131 year ago

    Any phrase, request or threat in the from of “do X or be subject to the rules” is inherently flawed.

    Why not skip the asking part and go straight to the enforcing the rules part because they’re, you know; the fucking rules.

  • @NekoKamiGuru@ttrpg.network
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    101 year ago

    Purging the images off social media will make it easier to deny that the atrocities ever happened. Keep them there in all their gory uglyness , perhaps put a spoiler tag over them to prevent someone with a feeble constitution from accidentally stumbling onto them and accidentally being triggered , but leave them there as evidence of the evil that happened.

    • Zev
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      31 year ago

      It should be archived and put somewhere people can go and access it for historical and educational purposes, but that’s it. It’s horrible, and even knowing what’s happening is ALREADY bad enough.

  • @moitoi@feddit.de
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    91 year ago

    The better would have been to ban Twitter. People and politics have to understand you can’t talk with irrational people.

    • @Agent641@lemmy.world
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      31 year ago

      Nationalize it.

      Governments use twitter, a private, for-profit system, far too much for official communications. Governments should run their own communications systems that the public can interface with.