Image Credit: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images 
EU officials have been mega-triggered after Twitter decided to abandon the bloc’s voluntary disinformation “code of practice” that other major platforms have pledged to support.
“You can run but you can’t hide,” European Commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted, ominously.
Twitter will be legally required to ‘fight disinformation’ in the EU beginning August 25th, referring to the Digital Services Act – a set of new social media rules that include fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual revenue.
Twitter leaves EU voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation.
But obligations remain. You can run but you can’t hide.
Beyond voluntary commitments, fighting disinformation will be legal obligation under #DSA as of August 25.
Our teams will be ready for enforcement.
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) May 26, 2023
The code of practice on disinfo is a voluntary set of rules that includes the tracking of political advertising, stopping the monetization of disinformation (like Covid originating in a lab? Questions over vaccine efficacy? Hunter Biden’s laptop? Masks? Joe Biden having ‘probably inappropriate’ showers with his daughter?).
Twitter is one of eight social media platforms which falls under the scope of the DSA – which includes Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Snapchat.
Breton has threatened to personally hold Musk to account for failure to comply.