eu throws cold water on Elon Musk’s free speech idea

[Re: “twitter employees are angry that Musk now owns it.”]

By Grand Rapids Anonymous

Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at 5:23:00 P.M. EDT

(ZH) “The european union has put Elon Musk on notice – warning that he faces hefty fines or even a ban if he allows free speech on twitter. “eu commissioner Thierry Breton told the financial times that Musk must follow rules on moderating illegal and harmful content online, since words have been elevated to ‘sticks & stones’ when it comes to the dangers of modern life.

“‘We welcome everyone. We are open but on our conditions. At least we know what to tell him: ‘Elon, there are rules. You are welcome but these are our rules. It’s not your rules which will apply here,’ said Breton.

“Musk’s take-private deal for twitter could transform the Tesla chief executive, who has used the platform to attack regulators and critics, into a social media baron, given that millions of people rely on the San Francisco-based platform for news.

“He said on Monday that ‘free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy’ and described twitter as ‘the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.’ -ft

“Breton’s comments come just days after Brussels signed a major piece of legislation targeting big tech for not doing enough to police content online, which runs counter to Musk’s plan to loosen twitter’s content moderation policies to match his stated ‘free speech absolutist’ ideology that could even see the return of former President Donal [sic] Trump to the platform (despite Trump’s insistence he won’t be back).

“According to Breton, he’s simply offering Musk a ‘reality check’ over plans for less stringent moderation, as a lack of compliance risks a ban in Europe.”

“‘Anyone who wants to benefit from this market will have to fulfill our rules. The board [of twitter] will have to make sure that if it operates in Europe it will have to fulfill the obligations, including moderation, open algorithms, freedom of speech, transparency in rules, obligations to comply with our own rules for hate speech, revenge porn [and] harassment,’ said Breton, adding ‘If [twitter] does not comply with our law, there are sanctions — 6 per cent of the revenue and, if they continue, banned from operating in Europe.’”

GRA: One wag said, “It looks like Musk will have to buy the eu to get free speech.”

Not simple—even for a gazillionaire.

--GRA

By Eahilf
Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 6:30:00 A.M. EDT

>eu throws cold water on Elon Musk’s free speech idea

Musk already said twitter will comply fully with local (i.e., national or regional) laws about expression – twitter has been doing this, e.g. enforcing the German law known as NetzDG; but there is also an equivalent French law, and typically content geoblocked so German users cannot see it is also blocked for French users – Twitch and Bitchute, among other “alternative” platforms, also do this – only Andrew Torba/Gab has consistently resisted pressure to censor coming from Europe (typically Holocaust-denial and content European countries deem anti-Semitic or see as “inciting racial hatred”).

In this sense, this new eu law is not a significant change – I don’t know the details, but perhaps it cannot unfairly be described as NetzDG for the EU – the infrastructure and processes to comply are already in place.

Personally I’d like to see the big American tech companies call the eu’s bluff and block access to their URLs from IP addresses in eu countries – what would the impact on their societies and economies be if individuals and companies in Europe could no longer access google, facebook, twitter, amazon, etc., etc.? —I think the eu would blink and rescind the law.

link

At the link above is an example of what you will see if you try to access Amy Mek’s twitter account from a German IP address (I know her account is also blocked in France) – she’s a Jew whom the German government accuses of “inciting racial hatred” against moslems because she highlights moslems’ anti-Jewish activity – you can find video of her addressing the European Parliament (link), yet Europeans block access to her twitter account.