Elon Musk has until the end of Wednesday to respond to demands from Brussels to remove graphic images and disinformation linked to the violence in Israel from his social network X — or face the full force of Europe’s new social media rules.

Thierry Breton, the European Union commissioner who oversees the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA) rules, wrote to the owner of X, formerly Twitter, to warn Musk of his obligations under the bloc’s content rules.

If Musk fails to comply, the EU’s rules state X could face fines of up to 6 percent of its revenue for potential wrongdoing. Under the regulations, social media companies are obliged to remove all forms of hate speech, incitement to violence and other gruesome images or propaganda that promote terrorist organizations.

Since Hamas launched its violent attacks on Israel on October 7, X has been flooded with images, videos and hashtags depicting — in graphic detail — how hundreds of Israelis have been murdered or kidnapped. Under X’s own policies, such material should also be removed immediately.

  • qyron
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    139 months ago

    I respect that but the images presented to the public were selected to denounce and illustrate horrendous acts commited.

    Here, I’d risk there is a very high risk/probability whatever may be leaked/posted is for pure shock value, with no intention to inform or contextualize.

    • @davysnavy@lemmy.world
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      129 months ago

      Intent doesn’t matter. People should be allowed to document and post crimes committed against humanity

      • @Jax@sh.itjust.works
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        9 months ago

        The pictures are old and don’t relate to what’s happening currently.

        Also, what do you think the differences between pre-meditated murder and manslaughter are? Intent absolutely matters.

      • qyron
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        39 months ago

        Intent does matter. It is so inportant it is even relevant in courts of law.

        You want the images of the barbarism raging in Israel as we speak to be known to the world and that is a good thing. People need to see the acts being commited there.

        Yet twitter is not, in any way, the platform for it, as those same images are very easily twisted out of context and thrown out in a fashion that will only serve to further entrench extreme positions and used for sheer shock value.

        These are human lives being laid to waste, not a social media circus for browny points.

      • Cethin
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        29 months ago

        I’m not sure, but I believe this is only for social media sites. You can still document it, but social media isn’t the place. I assume you’d be able to link to that, but not to the images directly, but I’m just guessing.

      • qyron
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        39 months ago

        Yes, which requires an unbiase position, supplying all possible information.

        Nowadays, and even more when considering twitter, that is hardly the case.

          • qyron
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            39 months ago

            Which makes it even worse, I’d risk? If the said pictures are unrelated, why are those being pushed forward? Are we voluntarily trying to dumb ourselves?

            • @Jax@sh.itjust.works
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              29 months ago

              I should have replied to the person you responded to, you are clearly on the same page I am.