After Elon Musk, Zuckerberg's Meta Urged By EU To Tackle Disinformation: Ensure A 'Prompt, Accurate And Complete' Response

European Commissioner Thierry Breton has now urged Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms Inc. META to address the issue of disinformation during the Israel-Hamas conflict, while Elon Musk disputes reports of “fake content” on his platform, X (formerly Twitter).

What Happened: In a letter shared on social media platforms like BlueSky and X on Wednesday, Breton has asked Zuckerberg’s Meta to act swiftly in response to the spread of false information during the Israel-Hamas conflict. 

Breton believes that certain social media platforms are responsible for an increase in unlawful content within the EU after the latest "terrorist attacks." He urged Meta to reply within 24 hours and make sure their systems are effective in tackling harmful content.

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He also called on Zuckerberg to inform the commission about the measures Meta is taking to combat deepfake media, particularly with several significant European elections approaching. 

The #DSA is here to protect free speech against arbitrary decisions, and at the same time protect our citizens & democracies.

My requests to #Meta's Mark Zuckerberg following the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel — and on tackling disinformation in elections in the EU ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/RnetUriRJX

— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) October 11, 2023

In response to these concerns, Meta has set up a special operations center with staff who speak Hebrew and Arabic to monitor content on their platforms. 

A Meta spokesperson told Bloomberg, "Our teams are working around the clock to keep our platforms safe, take action on content that violates our policies or local law, and coordinate with third-party fact-checkers in the region to limit the spread of misinformation," adding "We'll continue this work as this conflict unfolds."

Why It's Important: Earlier this week, Breton also sent a similar letter to Musk expressing concerns about his social network spreading illegal content and asking for quick action. 

The tech billionaire, however, publicly suggested that Breton should discuss his concerns on X rather than through letters. 

Our policy is that everything is open source and transparent, an approach that I know the EU supports.

Please list the violations you allude to on 𝕏, so that that the public can see them.

Merci beaucoup.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 10, 2023

We take our actions in the open.

No back room deals.

Please post your concerns explicitly on this platform.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 11, 2023

Photo by Ink Drop on Shutterstock

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