Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has pulled Twitter from the European Union's Code of Practice against disinformation. The code, which was adopted in 2018, requires social media platforms to take steps to combat the spread of disinformation on their platforms.
Musk's decision to pull Twitter from the code has been met with criticism from European officials. Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Internal Market, said that Musk's decision was "a setback for the fight against disinformation."
"The Code of Practice is a key tool in our fight against disinformation," Breton said. "It is essential that social media platforms take responsibility for the content that is shared on their platforms."
Musk has not explained why he pulled Twitter from the code. However, he has previously expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the code. In a tweet last year, Musk said that the code was "a joke" and that it would not be effective in stopping the spread of disinformation.
Musk's decision to pull Twitter from the code is a setback for the fight against disinformation in Europe. The code was a key part of the European Union's efforts to combat the spread of disinformation online. Without Twitter's participation, the code will be less effective in achieving its goals.
It is unclear what the long-term implications of Musk's decision will be. However, it is clear that his decision has made it more difficult for the European Union to combat the spread of disinformation online.
About European Union's Code of Practice against disinformation
The European Union's Code of Practice against disinformation is a set of voluntary commitments made by online platforms to combat the spread of disinformation. The code was adopted in 2018 and was revised in 2022.
The code requires platforms to take a number of steps to combat disinformation, including:
- Identifying and removing disinformation: Platforms must identify and remove disinformation from their platforms as soon as possible.
- Providing transparency: Platforms must provide transparency about how they are combating disinformation. This includes providing information about the algorithms they use to identify and remove disinformation, as well as the data they collect about users.
- Working with fact-checkers: Platforms must work with fact-checkers to identify and verify disinformation.
- Educating users: Platforms must educate users about disinformation and how to spot it.
The code has been criticized for being voluntary and for not being effective enough in combating disinformation. However, it has also been praised for being a step in the right direction.
The European Union is also working on a new law, the Digital Services Act (DSA), which would require platforms to take more stringent measures to combat disinformation. The DSA is expected to be adopted in 2023.
The European Union's efforts to combat disinformation are important because disinformation can have a negative impact on democracy and society. Disinformation can be used to spread misinformation, to manipulate public opinion, and to undermine trust in institutions.
The European Union's efforts to combat disinformation are still in their early stages, but they are a step in the right direction. The European Union is committed to combating disinformation and to protecting its citizens from its harmful effects.