Tesla billionaire and future Twitter owner Elon Musk says he is “very much on the same page” with the European Union on the Digital Services Act, a package of regulations for web platforms. Musk appeared in a short video with EU Commissioner Thierry Breton to reaffirm his support for the DSA, which, among other things, requires large platforms to control illegal content and assess the risk of harm from their services, including misinformation. .
“I think it’s exactly in line with future goals for the Twitter platform,” Musk said in a short video posted by Breton. “It was a great discussion and I really think I agree with everything you said, really. I think we are very much in agreement, and I think that everything that my companies can do that would benefit Europe, we want to do. Musk followed Twitter’s response to the video. “Great meeting! We are very much on the same page, “he said.
The video reinforces previous statements that moderating Twitter must “coincide with the laws” of the country in which it operates, and Musk’s priorities have some clear similarities with the DSA. Both are very concerned about transparency, for example: Musk has suggested making Twitter’s recommended open source algorithms, while the DSA will require large platforms to explain its algorithms to the EU. Similarly, the DSA is asking platforms to assess the risk of damage to bots and fake accounts, while Musk has promised to “authenticate everyone” on Twitter, despite concerns from some users who work anonymously for security reasons. And while it’s not mentioned in the video, the separate Digital Markets Act (DMA) strikes against practices like Apple by attaching a 30 percent levy to app store purchases, something Musk called a “de facto global tax on the Internet.”
DSA rules can have global implications, even if they apply only in Europe
But the EU will also require companies to identify and mitigate potential social risks posed by their platforms, potentially both legal and illegal content. He called on companies to work with the EU to combat misinformation and promote democracy, encouraging the use of “crisis protocols” that could limit the flow of inaccurate information during pandemics, earthquakes or other natural disasters. This may require stricter moderation of consumer speech in a way that the First Amendment in the United States will not allow the government to impose a mandate. Musk’s other businesses, meanwhile, such as Tesla, rely heavily on markets like Germany, so Twitter can’t just ignore those provisions.
Musk defines “freedom of speech” as speech that conforms to a country’s laws, regardless of what those laws allow. “If people want less freedom of speech, they will ask the government to pass laws to that effect,” he tweeted in late April. But this poses challenges to a global platform such as Twitter. Although the DSA only applies to consumers in Europe, its policies may be difficult to reconcile with Musk’s commitment to speech maximalism in the United States, as moderation in one country can affect the content people around the world see. And as Musk’s reference to his many companies suggests, he has a lot to lose by angering the EU if those goals conflict.
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