May 30, 2023
Twitter has announced its withdrawal from the European Union’s voluntary code aimed at fighting disinformation, according to the EU. Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner, took to Twitter to disclose the news.
Breton’s tweet was a direct message to Twitter, making it clear that the company cannot escape legal liability concerning disinformation. His tweet read, “Twitter leaves EU voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation. But obligations remain. You can run but you can’t hide.” This refers to the legal obligations that Twitter, as a very large online platform (VLOP) under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), is required to uphold.
Breton further highlighted that fighting disinformation would become a legal obligation for Twitter under the DSA, effective from August 25. He assured that enforcement teams would be prepared to ensure compliance.
The DSA, which came into effect in November, mandates VLOPs like Twitter to assess and mitigate the risks posed by disinformation to civic discourse and electoral processes. VLOPs have a deadline of three months to comply with the DSA’s obligations.
The likes of Meta, TikTok, Google, Microsoft, and Twitch, voluntarily joined the EU’s anti-disinformation code last year, Twitter has not confirmed its stance on the code and has yet to respond to requests for comment.
The sources for this piece include an article in BBC.
