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Wednesday 30 November 2022

Stress Test



Elon Musk warned by European Union that Twitter will be banned unless he sticks to bloc's digital rules - report

EU industry chief Thierry Breton made the threat during a video meeting with Musk on Wednesday, the news outlet said, citing people with knowledge of the conversation.

In a readout of the conversation provided by Breton, he told Musk: "There is still huge work ahead, as Twitter will have to implement transparent user policies, significantly reinforce content moderation and protect freedom of speech, tackle disinformation with resolve, and limit targeted advertising."

It's almost entertaining to wonder how Musk is supposed to significantly reinforce content moderation and protect freedom of speech. For the most part of course, EU bureaucrats are merely making business for themselves.

As a result, the pair agreed that the EU will carry out a "stress test" at Twitter's headquarters early next year to assess the company's compliance with the rules.

It isn't likely to be a small group of bureaucrats carrying out that "stress test" and neither is it likely to be the last test, even though it may be called something else. It's what bureaucrats do.

4 comments:

Doonhamer said...

On Noes.
The EU will ban it.
I remember the tut-tutters banned Elvis, That worked.
Then they said they would stop illegal immigrants. Aye, right.
The more they try to ban it the more the rebels will work around it.

Sam Vega said...

My first thought was "Why is a politicised bureaucrat telling this guy how to run his business?". A lot of other questions follow from that.

This particular situation is interesting, because they can't fall back on precedent and say that Musk has to do it their way because that's the way it's done. They have to start from nothing and explain why they are making up rules.

Ed P said...

Prodnoses will do what Prodnoses will always do, interfere in others' businesses.

It takes a special type of humanoid to want to be a bureaucrat. They're attracted to the thought of power over others, which brings out the worst in them.

A K Haart said...

Doonhamer - they probably want to fine it eventually and raise some cash, but are worried that Musk may be smarter than they are.

Sam - and he apparently intends to stay within the law as a moderation policy, so where was the incentive to go after him? Fear of influential free speech perhaps.

Ed - it does bring out the worst in them. As with our civil service, there isn't enough effective oversight.