<\/p>\n
Latest Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino is actually getting the total Elon Musk experience in her first weeks on the app, as the corporate works to fulfill evolving regional enforcement demands, while Musk himself continues to skirt controversy via his own tweets.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n This week, each Yaccarino and Musk are meeting with EU Privacy Commissioner Thierry Breton<\/a>, together with EU Commission assessors, to debate how Twitter is placed with regard to meeting its commitments to the EU\u2019s Digital Services Act (DSA).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Twitter <\/span><\/span><\/span>withdrew from the EU\u2019s voluntary Code of Practice on online disinformation<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>, last month, which is a component of the DSA – though on the time, Musk noted that Twitter remained committed to the EU code, including its recent requirements on policing disinformation, although it had opted out of this voluntary element. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Musk\u2019s long-held stance is that Twitter will obey the laws of every region<\/a>, but is not going to transcend the law for any reason. As such, the voluntary code could possibly be viewed as going further than what\u2019s obligatory – though Musk has also met with EU leaders, and Breton himself<\/a>, several times to reiterate his desire to work with them to make sure Twitter\u2019s compliance as required.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019ll be interesting to see how this week\u2019s meeting and review pans out, and the way Twitter\u2019s scaled back workforce is meeting these requirements. If it\u2019s not, you may expect EU officials to take further steps to sanction the app, which could potentially result in fines, and even bans, if Twitter fails to act. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And that\u2019s not the one place that Twitter could possibly be facing operational challenges, with Australia\u2019s eSafety Commissioner also calling on the corporate to offer a proof of the way it plans to tackle the rise of hate speech within the app, based on the increasing rate of reports to the Commissioner\u2019s office.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n As reported by The Guardian<\/a>:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>Australia\u2019s eSafety commissioner says Twitter<\/span>\u00a0has \u2018dropped the ball\u2019 on tackling online hate, and has issued a legal notice to the social media giant demanding a proof about what it’s doing concerning the scourge. The commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said there have been more complaints about online hate on Twitter up to now 12 months than another platform, and complaints have spiked since Elon Musk\u2019s takeover of the corporate in October.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Twitter itself maintains that exposure to hate speech has declined significantly since Musk took over on the app, though the actual rate of such has been revised of late in Twitter\u2019s own reporting.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Back in March, Twitter reported that hate speech impressions had been reduced by 50%<\/a> consequently of changes led by Musk, but in an interview last week, Musk himself stated that <\/span><\/span>hate speech visibility has declined by 30% for the reason that acquisition<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Each are impressive results, but there\u2019s also a big variance in reporting here, with Twitter\u2019s hate speech exposure numbers seemingly increasing by almost half over the past three months.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Could that be the results of Twitter allowing previously banned users back into the app<\/a> via Musk\u2019s \u2018amnesty\u2019 program, or perhaps that is reflective of Twitter\u2019s recent \u2018freedom of speech, not freedom of reach\u2019 approach<\/a>, which goals to scale back the printed range of offensive comments, versus removing them outright?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s not possible to say without the actual reporting data, which is barely available internally, but seemingly, Australia\u2019s eSafety Commissioner believes that Twitter\u2019s not doing enough, and has alluded to this happening consequently of Twitter\u2019s staff cuts \u2013 though it’s also value noting that Musk also claimed this week that Twitter\u2019s staffing numbers on this area actually haven\u2019t been significantly reduced<\/a> since he took over on the app. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In any event, Twitter faces <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>penalties of nearly $700,000 a day for continuing breaches if it fails to deal with the Commission\u2019s concerns. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n So, Yaccarino has some pretty big issues to deal with, while also working to alleviate advertiser concerns around these same elements, which have prompted some key Twitter ad partners to pause their ad spend<\/a>, though many are actually coming back.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Just to maintain things spicy, Musk has also added one other element into the combo, by stating that the usage of the terms <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2018cis\u2019 or \u2018cisgender\u2019 will now be considered slurs by Twitter\u2019s team<\/a> in the event that they\u2019re utilized in an abusive or harassing way. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Musk has further clarified<\/a> that users is not going to get suspended for simply using these terms, \u2018<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>but their post will see much less reach, as it’s going to not be advisable to others<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2019 in the event that they\u2019re found to be using such in a negative context. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n