The coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict on social media platforms has come under scrutiny from the UK government and Brussels, as tech firms including X and Meta were urged to deal with a surge in violent and misleading content on their sites.
In the UK, the technology secretary summoned social media executives on Wednesday to demand the removal from their platforms of violent content related to the Hamas attacks on Israel.
Michelle Donelan called the meeting as the EU criticised X, formerly Twitter, about discussion of the conflict on its platform including fake news and the use of repurposed historical footage.
The EU’s intervention was followed by a demand to Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, to make sure it is being “vigilant” about illegal content on its platform after the Hamas raids.
Donelan met executives from X, Google, Meta, TikTok and Snapchat to discuss tackling violent and antisemitic content on their platforms following the Hamas attacks. The technology secretary asked the platforms to set out in writing how they would remove any illegal content or posts that breached their terms and conditions.
“I had a practical conversation with platforms on how they can and must do more to stop supporters of Hamas pushing wicked terrorism and antisemitism to the world. I’ve asked them to follow up and detail the plans they have in writing,” she said.
Thierry Breton, the European commissioner responsible for enforcing sweeping new EU laws governing social media, wrote to Meta soon after issuing a warning to X on the same matter. He gave Mark Zuckerberg’s social media platforms 24 hours to inform him of the steps they were taking to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
“I would ask you to be very vigilant to ensure strict compliance with the DSA rules on terms of service, on the requirement of timely, diligent and objective action following notices of illegal content in the EU, and on the need for proportionate and effective mitigation measures,” Breton told Zuckerberg, Meta’s founder and chief executive, in the letter.
Breton publicised the move on the new social media platform Bluesky, which is championed by the former Twitter owner Jack Dorsey. Violations of the DSA carry the threat of a fine of 6% of global turnover and in the most serious cases a temporary suspension of the service.
The coverage on X has come under scrutiny amid evidence of disinformation related to the war on the platform. On Tuesday, Breton told X’s owner, Elon Musk, his platform was “being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU”.
He added: “I therefore invite you to urgently ensure that your systems are effective, and report on the crisis measures taken to my team.” He also hinted that police agencies had been in touch with X over its content, adding he expected Musk “to be in contact with the relevant law enforcement authorities and Europol” and to “ensure that you respond promptly to their requests”.
Musk replied on X, asking Breton to “list the violations you allude to on X, so that the public can see them”.
Breton responded that it was up to Musk to “demonstrate that you walk the talk” and added that his team was standing by to “enforce rigorously” DSA compliance. It is understood that X is cooperating with the EU’s request to provide information but it will be some time before Brussels takes any further steps.
A Meta spokesperson said the company’s teams were “working around the clock” on coverage related to the attacks, including deploying fluent Hebrew and Arabic speakers and working with third-party fact checkers.
“We’ll continue this work as this conflict unfolds,” said the spokesperson.
Media Matters, a US media watchdog, said the attacks represented X’s first test amid a global crisis and that it had “failed spectacularly”, with verified accounts among the sources spreading false information.
The online safety bill, which carries provisions on dealing with illegal and harmful online content, is about to become law in the UK but has yet to receive royal assent.
