Since the Hamas attack on Israel on Saturday October 7, the Pharos platform has been overwhelmed by reports of problematic online content: 700 reports on Monday for advocating terrorism or dissemination of extremely violent images, 1,257 reports on Tuesday… A “surge “violent content, describes the minister responsible for digital affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot. Messages that are mainly found on the X network, the former Twitter, because since its takeover by Elon Musk, the platform has relaxed moderation. >> True or false. War between Hamas and Israel: old photos and videos presented on social networks as images of the conflict These reports will be the subject of judicial investigations. As for removing illegal messages, it is more complex. Theoretically, they should be deleted within 24 hours. The government contacted the office of European Commissioner Thierry Breton on Tuesday to put pressure on the platforms.
Thierry Breton wrote to the boss of Twitter to remind him of his obligations in the fight against disinformation and against the circulation of illegal content, otherwise he faces a heavy fine – up to 6% of global turnover – or even the banning of the social network in the European Union. Elon Musk responded in a few lines on x: “Please publicly list the violations to which you are referring”, not being really cooperative at this stage. >>
Hamas attacks in Israel: the European Commission threatens Elon Musk with sanctions for disseminating “illegal content” The government will also apply pressure: Jean-Noël Barrot, the digital minister, will reactivate the “permanent contact group”, born after the 2015 attacks in France. A group that allows for constant contact with government, law enforcement and digital platforms, during times of crisis, in order to shorten the time taken to remove problematic content. The government will convene a first meeting in a few days to remind social networks of their responsibilities.
