Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      Vodacom, Maziv deal now looks likely after CompCom U-turn

      8 July 2025

      Icasa publishes new draft regulations for digital TV

      8 July 2025

      Fast-growing Beira port to get private mobile network

      8 July 2025

      MultiChoice hit with multimillion-rand fine for privacy ‘breaches’

      8 July 2025

      Still in play: Ramaphosa banks on talks to ease US tariff blow

      8 July 2025
    • World

      Cupertino vs Brussels: Apple challenges Big Tech crackdown

      7 July 2025

      Grammarly acquires e-mail start-up Superhuman

      1 July 2025

      Apple considers ditching its own AI in Siri overhaul

      1 July 2025

      Jony Ive’s first AI gadget could be … a pen

      30 June 2025

      Bumper orders for Xiaomi’s YU7 SUV heighten threat to Tesla

      27 June 2025
    • In-depth

      Siemens is battling Big Tech for AI supremacy in factories

      24 June 2025

      The algorithm will sing now: why musicians should be worried about AI

      20 June 2025

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025
    • TCS

      TCS | Connecting Saffas – Renier Lombard on The Lekker Network

      7 July 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E4: Takealot’s big Post Office jobs plan

      4 July 2025

      TCS | Tech, townships and tenacity: Spar’s plan to win with Spar2U

      3 July 2025

      TCS+ | First Distribution on the latest and greatest cloud technologies

      27 June 2025

      TCS+ | First Distribution on data governance in hybrid cloud environments

      27 June 2025
    • Opinion

      In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

      30 June 2025

      E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

      30 June 2025

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

      13 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CambriLearn
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » Social media » EU opens probe into X

    EU opens probe into X

    The European Union has opened an investigation into Elon Musk's X, the first under new EU tech rules.
    By Agency Staff13 October 2023
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    European Union industry chief Thierry Breton has opened an investigation into Elon Musk’s X, the first under new EU tech rules, after earlier reprimanding the social media platform, TikTok and Meta Platforms for not doing enough to tackle the spread of disinformation following Hamas’s attack on Israel.

    All three platforms have seen a surge of false content about the Israel and Hamas conflict, with disinformation appearing to be most prevalent on X, social media researchers said.

    Breton’s move ramps up the pressure on TikTok and Meta to remove illegal and harmful content from their platforms in order to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA).

    Musk on Friday said in a post on X that the EU has not provided any example of disinformation

    The DSA, which entered into force in November 2022, forces large online platforms and search engines to do more to tackle illegal content and risks to public security, and protect their services against manipulative techniques.

    X CEO Linda Yaccarino said on Thursday the platform had removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts and taken action to remove or label tens of thousands of pieces of content since the attack, in response to a letter from Breton.

    “We have sent @X a formal request for information, a first step in our investigation to determine compliance with the DSA,” Breton said in a posting on X.

    X declined to comment.

    Musk on Friday said in a post on X that the EU has not provided any example of disinformation after Breton had asked to tackle the spread of disinformation on the platform formerly known as Twitter.

    Disinformation

    It has until 18 October to provide details on how its crisis response protocol is activated and functions, and until 31 October on other issues.

    A move by Musk to cut off free academic access to a data tool earlier this year is making it more challenging to track keywords and hashtags, forcing researchers to manually sift through content to trace disinformation, researchers said.

    Since taking over Twitter, Musk has slashed the workforce to roughly 1 500 from 7 500 employees to cut costs, including many who worked on content moderation, identifying and taking down coordinated propaganda campaigns, and curating reliable content.

    X has also lost two heads of trust and safety and one head of brand safety, who worked to prevent ads from appearing next to harmful content. The company risks fines of as much as 6% of its global turnover if found guilty of DSA violations.

    Attack on Israel: Musk’s X slammed as ‘platform for hatred’

    Breton earlier on Thursday gave TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew 24 hours to step up efforts to remove illegal and harmful content from the short video app.

    His  warning in a letter to Chew follows similar letters to X, Musk and Meta Platforms’ Mark Zuckerberg earlier this week. Breton subsequently posted the letter on social media platform Bluesky.

    Breton said in the letter to TikTok, owned by Chinese conglomerate ByteDance, that he had indications that it was being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU after the Hamas attacks.

    “Given that your platform is extensively used by children and teenagers, you have a particular obligation to protect them from violent content depicting hostage taking and other graphic videos which are reportedly widely circulating on your platform without appropriate safeguards,” he said.  — Foo Yun Chee with Supantha Mukherjee, (c) 2023 Reuters

    Get breaking news alerts from TechCentral on WhatsApp



    ByteDance Elon Musk Meta Meta Platforms Thierry Breton TikTok Twitter X
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleTCS+ | The story behind MTN SuperFlex
    Next Article R185-million SABC security tender set aside

    Related Posts

    Apple’s AI ambitions rattled by defection to Meta

    8 July 2025

    Without US subsidies, Musk would be back in South Africa – Trump

    1 July 2025

    Starlink eyes South Africa licence with R2-billion investment pledge

    30 June 2025
    Company News

    Huawei South Africa Partners Forum 2025: joining hands for a digital, intelligent future

    8 July 2025

    Powering South Africa’s industrial intelligence with Huawei Cloud’s AI-native innovations

    8 July 2025

    Rain launches a new way to connect. It’s a loop

    8 July 2025
    Opinion

    In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

    30 June 2025

    E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

    30 June 2025

    South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

    17 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.