A study commissioned by the European Commission has indicated that X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, hosts the highest proportion of disinformation among six major social networks. The research scrutinized over 6,000 distinct posts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and YouTube, focusing on Spain, Poland, and Slovakia—countries perceived as especially vulnerable to disinformation.
The European Union’s Values and Transparency Commissioner, Vera Jourova, issued a stern warning to X, emphasizing compliance with stringent regulations. “My message for [X] is: you have to comply with the hard law. We’ll be watching what you’re doing,” she stated.
The study, conducted by TrustLab, a startup specializing in monitoring disinformation, was part of the EU’s initiative to support its code of practice on disinformation. X, along with several other social networks, had initially adhered to this voluntary code in 2018. However, under the leadership of Elon Musk, the company opted out. Despite this, X remains subject to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which governs the behavior of large tech platforms. Non-compliance with the DSA could result in penalties amounting to six percent of a company’s global turnover.
In September, the EU criticized social media companies for their inability to curb extensive Russian disinformation campaigns following the invasion of Ukraine. The influence of Kremlin-backed accounts has reportedly expanded in 2023. Commissioner Jourova highlighted the gravity of the situation, given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the impending European elections. She described Russia’s tactics as wielding “a multi-million euro weapon of mass manipulation” against Europeans and stressed the imperative for large social media platforms to mitigate this risk.
Jourova also mentioned ongoing efforts to address AI-generated disinformation in the lead-up to the elections and revealed plans to meet with representatives of OpenAI to discuss this issue.