X claims to have deleted hundreds of accounts linked to Hamas but maintains false content

The social network In a letter signed by its executive director, Linda Yaccarino, the platform headed by Elon Musk thus responds to the warnings of the European Commission which, also by letter, warned on Monday that after the attacks in Israel, X was being used to disseminate illegal and manipulated content and gave the company 24 hours to respond with measures to alleviate the problem. Despite the social network’s response, false and manipulated content remains online, as disinformation experts have identified.

“We have diligently taken productive actions to remove content that violates our policies, including: violent speech, manipulated media and graphic media,” says Yaccarino’s letter, also broadcast on X, where a public confrontation between Musk and Thierry Breton is unfolding. the Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, who is leading the demands of Brussels and who has been focusing for months on the fight against disinformation.

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X claims that it has responded to more than 80 content removal requests and has not received notices from Europol. In his letter to the European Commission he gives a list of elements prohibited in X, such as accounts of violent entities, accounts that glorify extremist attacks and threats. “This also includes threatening to damage civilian homes, shelters or essential infrastructure for daily, civic or commercial activities,” says the platform’s letter. A walk through X shows, however, that content of this type is still visible. The social network prohibits manipulated content, but it can also be found on the platform. Musk himself recommended, to follow what is happening in the conflict, accounts that have been shown to spread manipulated content.

The social network has undergone major changes to its security policy since Musk took control of the company. It does not participate in the European voluntary code against disinformation, which worries the Community Executive. Now, Brussels, through Thierry Breton, is urging X and other platforms, such as Meta, to pursue false and illegal content and take measures such as those provided for in the new Digital Services Law (DSA), which dictates that platforms They must eliminate illegal content and address risks to public safety and the protection of citizens, according to community sources.

With that law in hand, Bretón on Tuesday urged . The social network headed by Musk assures that a good system to avoid misinformation and manipulation is to place public notices and notes after the publications, in addition to “limiting interactions” of that content by altering the algorithm, according to the letter. “These actions are intended to limit the reach of the publication while maintaining the public’s ability to view and discuss it,” continues the director of X.

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X, which can face a fine of up to 6% of world billing – or even to receive the prohibition to operate in Europe if the breach is repeated – also ensures that it has redistributed resources and reoriented to several internal teams for address the surge of illegal and falsified content following Hamas’ attacks on Israel. X, which fired many of the people in departments fighting disinformation after Musk’s arrival and restored accounts that had spread false information and hate content, says it has created a group to evaluate the situation after the attacks. Yaccarino has requested a meeting with community authorities and demands more details about the alleged false or illegal content.

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