Twitter is making a U-turn and is saying goodbye to the code of conduct against disinformation

Short message service Twitter has withdrawn from an EU agreement against the spread of disinformation on the internet, according to the European Commission.

“But the obligations remain. You can run away, but you can’t hide,” EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton wrote on Twitter on Saturday night.

Apart from the voluntary commitments, from August 25, the fight against disinformation will be a legal obligation under the so-called EU Digital Services Act (DSA). “Our teams will be prepared for enforcement,” Breton wrote.

In February, the European Commission published reports on how online platforms, including Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok, are implementing the rules of the EU’s voluntary code of conduct. The Brussels authorities stated at the time that Twitter’s report lagged behind the others. In their reports, the platforms showed, among other things, how many fake accounts were created and used or how fact checks influenced the spread of disinformation.

The Digital Services Act must, among other things, ensure that platforms remove illegal content from their sites more quickly. The requirements will apply across the EU from mid-February 2024 – rather for particularly large platforms.

Breton said in late November that Twitter needs to step up its efforts to comply with EU law. The social network must introduce transparent user guidelines, moderate content significantly more, protect freedom of expression and act decisively against disinformation.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk had always insisted that what he saw as excessive restrictions on free speech on the platform should be removed. More than two weeks ago, the tech billionaire announced that he would hand over the top position at Twitter to advertising expert Linda Yaccarino after a chaotic six months. (sda/dpa)