In the aftermath of the recent Hamas attacks on
Israel, the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has removed
hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts, stating “there is no place on X for
terrorist organisations”.
“X is committed to serving the public conversation,
especially in critical moments like this and understands the importance of
addressing any illegal content that may be disseminated through the platform.
There is no place on X for terrorist organisations or violent extremists’
groups and we continue to remove such accounts in real time, including
proactive groups,” said the social media platform’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino.
The swift response from X was prompted by a 24-hour
ultimatum issued by European Union industry chief Thierry Breton to Elon Musk,
urging him to combat the spread of disinformation on X and ensure compliance
with new EU online content regulations.
Breton voiced concerns over the platform’s alleged use
in distributing illegal content and disinformation within the European Union.
Under the newly implemented EU’s Digital Services Act
(DSA), large online platforms like X and Meta’s Facebook (META) are required
to take more proactive measures to remove illegal content and address threats
to public security and civic discourse.
Yaccarino emphasised that following the attack, X
established a leadership group to evaluate the situation promptly.
In a letter addressed to Breton, Yaccarino expressed X’s
willingness to engage further with the EU and its team, including holding a
meeting to address any specific concerns. The CEO eagerly awaited additional
details to which the platform could respond effectively.
X reported that it had responded to more than 80
takedown requests from the EU within the required time frame and had not
received any notices from Europol regarding illegal content on its platform, as
stated in the letter.
In a similar move, Thierry Breton issued a warning to
Meta on October 9, granting the company 24 hours to provide information about
the actions taken to combat disinformation spread through its platforms
following the Israel attack.
Notably, the death toll in Israel since the Hamas
attack on October 7 has jumped to 1,300 and some 3,300 have been injured,
including 28 in critical condition and 350 in serious condition, The Times of
Israel reported citing Hebrew media reports.
The fate of an estimated 150 people abducted and taken
to the Gaza Strip during the attack by Hamas is still unclear, the report said.
ANI
