The dramatic novel of Twitter during the last weeks does not seem to have an end. The swing of Twitter Blue and the verification of accounts were not enough, nor were the massive resignations. Now, the European Union could kick Twitter out of Europe if Elon Musk and company don’t get in the bandwagon . What is this about? Is it the same reason that Facebook and Instagram were said to be leaving?
Twitter is left without representatives in Europe to help them comply with content laws. could be expensive
According to the Financial Times (FT) , Twitter could be on the brink of the abyss within the European Union. The reason behind this is the closure of his office in Brussels due to lack of personnel, due to the avalanche of resignations that occurred days ago.
Among the obligations of this office was maintaining constant contact with the European Union and other governments in the region. Its objective? Make Twitter comply with the requirements and laws of the EU regarding data privacy and protection of user content.
According to FT, the main blow comes after the resignation of Julia Mozer and Dario La Nasa, after Elon Musk’s ultimatum. Both were primarily responsible for Twitter’s policies for Europe and for enforcing the Digital Services Act on the platform . Besides, they were the only two Twitter employees left in Brussels after the wave of layoffs that Musk carried out during his arrival.
Without them, Twitter could face fines worth up to 6% of its global revenue. And if they don’t fix the problem after the fine, the platform risks being banned from Europe .
Likewise, the departure of Damien Kieran from Twitter as global director of privacy was also a blow to the platform in Europe. With his departure, Twitter no longer meets a basic requirement required by the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD). The consequence? As before, as long as there is no substitute, the platform is at risk of being kicked out of Europe.
Twitter will be able to go ahead in Europe, but they must work hand in hand with the regulations
The alarms of the European Union with Twitter went off since Musk took the helm a few weeks ago, so the Brussels office only adds fuel to the fire . How come we know this? Because since Elon tweeted that “The bird was released” (referring to Twitter), the EU launched the first warning.
The warning came from none other than Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, who responded that: “In Europe, the bird will fly according to our rules.” This is a very clear reference to the Digital Services Law, but it is also a warning not to cross the line.
After the closure of the Brussels office, the next to speak up was Věra Jourová, Vice President of Values and Transparency of the European Commission. Jourová acknowledged that until now Twitter has done its homework and has committed itself to the fight against misinformation and hate on the platform. However, he fears that what happened in Brussels will negatively affect the path taken so far. “If [Twitter] wants to effectively detect and take action against misinformation and propaganda, it will need resources to do so.”
What will happen in the end? Time will tell, although there are two things we know right now, paradoxical as they may seem: the first is that it is well known that Musk does not have a good relationship with regulatory entities ; the second, that curiously Elon had already committed to comply with the Digital Services Law. In fact, he did it before Thierry Brenton himself in a meeting they had at the Tesla Gigafactory in the United States. We will be attentive to any news.
