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The social media platform, X, has reportedly taken action against Hamas-affiliated accounts and content in response to an ultimatum issued by EU industry chief Thierry Breton.
According to X’s Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino, hundreds of Hamas-linked accounts were removed, and tens of thousands of pieces of content either removed or labelled since the group’s attack on Israel on Saturday.
Breton had issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly known as Twitter), urging him to address the spread of disinformation on the platform following the Hamas assault, in compliance with the new EU online content rules.
The EU’s recently implemented Digital Services Act (DSA) mandates large online platforms, including X and Meta’s Facebook, to take measures against the dissemination of illegal content, and address risks to public security and civic discourse.
Yaccarino stated that X has reallocated resources and refocused internal teams to respond to the rapidly evolving situation. She noted that a leadership group was assembled by the company shortly after the attack to assess the situation.
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“We wish to reiterate that we welcome further engagement with you and your team, including a meeting, to address any specific questions and look forward to receiving further specifics to which we can respond,” Yaccarino said in the letter to Breton, posted on X.
In addition, X has reportedly responded to over 80 take-down requests within the EU’s stipulated timeline and has not received notices from Europol regarding illegal content on the platform, the letter states.
Breton had issued a similar warning to Meta the preceding day, giving the company a 24-hour timeframe to report on the measures taken to combat the spread of disinformation on its platforms following the Hamas attack on Israel.
