TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew speaks during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on TikTok to be held at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 23, 2023. I am preparing to testify on “How to Protect Your Children from Online Harm”.
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
European regulator Thierry Breton said: tough letter on Thursday against TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, claiming there are “indications” the platform is being used to distribute disinformation and illegal content regarding the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. .
Mr. Breton is the European Commissioner for the Internal Market. He said TikTok needs to be “timely, diligent and objective” in removing misinformation, especially since minors often use TikTok as a news source.
Breton issued a similar letter to X owner Elon Musk, Meta This week’s Mark Zuckerberg CEO.
“First, given that your platform is widely used by children and adolescents, you are responsible for the hostages that are allegedly being circulated widely on your platform without appropriate safeguards in place. “We have a special obligation to protect children from violent content depicting movies and other graphic videos,” Brereton wrote. letter.
Under the European Union’s new digital services law, TikTok must be monitored and removed. illegal content such as terrorist content and illegal hate speech. TikTok will also need to spell out its protocols for doing so.
Failure to comply with European regulations regarding illegal content can result in fines equal to 6% of a company’s annual revenue.
Brereton called on TikTok to step up its efforts and contact appropriate law enforcement. He asked Chu to respond to the letter within 24 hours.
“TikTok has a special obligation to protect children and young people from violent content and terrorist propaganda, as well as from content that could be deadly or life-threatening,” Breton said in a statement. ) said in a post on its competitor Bluesky Social.
A TikTok spokesperson said the company has received the letter and plans to respond. The spokesperson also directed CNBC to resources on how the platform is fulfilling its DSA commitments.
Mr. Breton told Mr. Musk on Tuesday that Mr. He asked for a detailed explanation of crisis measures.
X Company CEO Linda Yaccarino responded Thursday, saying that after the Hamas attack on Israel, the company had “convened a leadership group to assess the situation” and that since the war began, “hundreds of Hamas We have identified and deleted the relevant accounts.”be letter She posted on X.
Breton on Wednesday urged Zuckerberg to be “vigilant” about removing misinformation on his platform. During the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and ahead of the upcoming elections. In addition to popular social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, Meta also owns Threads, a competitor of his X in the company.
A Meta spokesperson told CNBC that the company is “working around the clock” to keep its platform secure.
“Following Saturday’s Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, we quickly established a special operations center staffed with experts, including fluent Hebrew and Arabic speakers, to closely monitor and respond to this rapidly evolving situation. ,” the spokesperson said.
