"Regulatory Crossfire on Musk's Twitter? ... 'Top Surveillance Target'"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Is Musk's Twitter an enemy of democracy?

As Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, appears to neglect content moderation under the banner of 'freedom of expression,' the European Union (EU) regulatory authorities have issued a warning. Since Musk's acquisition, suspicions have persisted that Twitter is being exploited for public opinion manipulation and political propaganda, sparking discussions on regulating the platform.

V?ra Jourov?, EU Commissioner for Values and Transparency, directly criticized Musk in an interview with the U.S. political media outlet Politico on the 1st (local time), saying, "Musk is jumping to the front line of EU regulators."

She said, "It seems Musk enjoys being in the spotlight," adding, "His decision not to regulate COVID-19 misinformation has also succeeded in attracting the attention of EU regulators." She further noted that Musk is at the top of the EU regulators' watchlist and announced plans for a thorough investigation of Twitter.

Recently, Twitter added a statement on its COVID-19 media policy homepage indicating that, since the 23rd of last month, it has suspended regulations related to COVID-19 misinformation. Twitter did not officially announce these changes and only belatedly disclosed this fact late on the 28th, long after the policy had been altered. This quiet suspension of moderation occurred amid emerging evidence that Chinese authorities were attempting to manipulate public opinion on Twitter regarding protests against COVID-19 lockdowns in China.

The EU regulators view the fact that China is a key market for Tesla, the electric vehicle company operated by Musk, as closely related to this decision. According to Politico, EU regulators are focusing on the fact that the withdrawal of COVID-19 misinformation moderation was not due to 'force majeure' caused by staff reductions but was a 'management decision' by Musk.

Concerns about Twitter as a 'public forum' have grown as Musk has reinstated accounts that were suspended for disciplinary reasons. Musk revived former U.S. President Donald Trump's account, which had been permanently suspended for inciting the U.S. Capitol riot, after 22 months, and restored the account of American hip-hop star Ye (Kanye West), who had been sanctioned for anti-Semitic remarks, within about a month.

Additionally, accounts of conservative parody site Babylon Bee, U.S. comedian Kathy Griffin, and Canadian author Jordan Peterson were also reinstated. Griffin's account was suspended recently after posting messages impersonating Musk, and Peterson was disciplined for posting hateful content about transgender actor Elliot Page.

The greatest harm these individuals have caused to Twitter is the exploitation of the platform as a breeding ground for fake news and a propaganda tool for dictators. A representative example is Russia's manipulation using Twitter during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Commissioner Jourov? also directly stated in an interview with Bloomberg News, "Twitter must not become a propaganda tool for the Russian government, which is at war with Ukraine."

She warned, "Due to recent staff reductions, Twitter's capacity to manage false and harmful content has decreased, turning it into a propaganda platform for Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the Ukraine war. If Twitter stops moderating Russian government propaganda due to lack of personnel, it is tantamount to aiding President Putin."

She cautioned, "Fake or potentially misleading information online has high transmissibility and is prone to misuse," warning that Twitter could become a breeding ground for fake news. She added, "Not removing 'viral propaganda' is equivalent to supporting the war," and pointed out, "This could be a very dangerous move even for Musk, who wants to appear as supporting Ukraine."

Earlier, the EU directly warned Musk to comply with the 'Digital Services Act (DSA).' Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for Internal Market, held a video call with Musk at the end of last month and pointed out that "Twitter must ensure transparency in user policies, significantly strengthen content management, protect freedom of expression, firmly combat fake news, and also restrict targeted advertising."

From next year, when the DSA is enforced, social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram will be obligated to remove harmful content such as misinformation, hate speech, or terrorist propaganda. Violations may result in fines of up to 6% of global revenue or expulsion from the EU market.