Printed TikTok logos are seen in this illustration taken February 15, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
BRUSSELS, Oct 12 (Reuters) – EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Thursday gave TikTok 24 hours to detail measures taken to counter the spread of disinformation on its short video app following Palestinian Islamist group Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Breton’s warning in a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, first seen by Reuters, follows similar letters to X owner Elon Musk and Meta Platforms’ Mark Zuckerberg earlier this week. Breton subsequently posted the letter on social media platform Bluesky.
X chief executive Linda Yaccarino said on Thursday that X has removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts and taken action to remove or label tens of thousands of pieces of content since the attack on Israel.
Breton said in the letter to TikTok that he had indications that it was being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU after the Hamas attacks.
The EU industry commissioner said rules on content moderation were clear in the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and spelt out certain obligations in his letter.
The recently implemented DSA requires large online platforms to do more to remove illegal content and to take measures to tackle the risks to public security and civic discourse.
Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; writing by Philip Blenkinsop. Editing by Jane Merriman and Elaine Hardcastle
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