Amidst the recent Hamas attacks on Israel, the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, swiftly removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts, asserting that the platform had no room for terrorist organizations. Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, affirmed the platform’s dedication to fostering public discourse, especially during critical moments. She underscored the significance of addressing illegal content disseminated on the platform and reiterated their continuous efforts to remove accounts associated with terrorist organizations and violent extremist groups in real-time.
X’s prompt action was instigated by a 24-hour ultimatum from Thierry Breton, the European Union industry chief, directed at Elon Musk. Breton urged Musk to combat disinformation on X and ensure compliance with the new EU online content regulations. Breton expressed concerns about the alleged use of the platform for distributing illegal content and disinformation within the European Union. According to the newly implemented EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), major online platforms like X and Meta’s Facebook (META.O) are mandated to proactively remove illegal content and address threats to public security and civic discourse.
Yaccarino highlighted that X had promptly established a leadership group to assess the situation following the attack. In response to Breton’s concerns, Yaccarino expressed X’s willingness to collaborate further with the EU, including scheduling a meeting to address specific issues. X reported that it had promptly responded to over 80 takedown requests from the EU within the stipulated timeframe and had not received any notices from Europol regarding illegal content on its platform, as indicated in the letter.
In a parallel development, Thierry Breton issued a warning to Meta on October 9, granting the company 24 hours to provide information about the measures taken to combat disinformation spread through its platforms following the Israel attack.
It’s important to note that the death toll in Israel has risen to 1,300 since the Hamas attack on October 7, with 3,300 people injured, including 28 in critical condition and 350 in serious condition, as reported by The Times of Israel, citing Hebrew media sources. Additionally, the fate of approximately 150 people abducted and taken to the Gaza Strip during the Hamas attack remains uncertain.
