More transparency in algorithms is part of Musk’s plans for Twitter.
(Photo: Reuters)
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who wants to take over Twitter, sees no contradiction in his plans for more freedom of speech on the platform with the EU’s strict content rules. “We pretty much agree,” Musk said in a joint video with EU Commissioner Thierry Breton. In Europe, stricter supervision of online platforms has just been passed with the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Breton said he explained the DSA to Musk. “I think it corresponds exactly to my thinking,” said the tech entrepreneur afterwards. He agrees with everything Breton said.
Among other things, the DSA aims to ensure that illegal content such as hate speech is removed from the Internet more quickly after appropriate notification, harmful disinformation and war propaganda is shared less and fewer counterfeit products are sold on online marketplaces. To do this, platforms like Instagram have to make their recommendation algorithms more transparent for the first time.
More transparency in algorithms is also part of Musk’s plans for Twitter. At the same time, however, he criticizes Twitter for the fact that the service is currently banning too much fundamentally legal content from the platform.
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This criticism is likely to be aimed primarily at the United States, where conservatives and supporters of ex-President Donald Trump in particular are outraged that Twitter is cracking down on misinformation about the corona virus – as well as the unproven claims that Joe Biden was campaigning for the White House cheating won.
Musk also said at a Financial Times conference on Tuesday evening that he would reverse Twitter’s decision to ban former US President Donald Trump from the platform. The ban was “morally wrong and just plain stupid”.
Trump was banned from Twitter shortly after his supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6. At that point, he had more than 88 million followers. “Permanent bans fundamentally undermine trust in Twitter as a place for everyone to speak their mind,” Musk said.
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At the same time, Musk had always said that Twitter had to comply with local laws – and in Europe there will be a clear legal situation when the DSA comes into force.
It will be some time before it becomes clear whether Musk will get Twitter. The boss of the electric car manufacturer Tesla agreed with the Twitter board of directors on a deal worth around 44 billion dollars, but is still dependent on enough shareholders wanting to cede their shares to him. Twitter and Musk aim to complete the acquisition by the end of the year.
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