EU tells Elon Musk to hire more staff to moderate Twitter - FT


FILE PHOTO: Figurines with smartphones and computers are seen in front of the Twitter logo in this illustration, November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) - The European Union told Elon Musk to hire more human moderators and fact-checkers to review posts on Twitter, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing four people familiar with talks between Musk, Twitter executives and regulators in Brussels.

The demand complicates Musk's efforts to reorganize the loss-making business he acquired for $44 billion in October. He has slashed more than half of Twitter's 7,500 staff, including the entire trust and safety teams in some offices, while seeking cheaper methods to monitor tweets, the report said.

The massive layoffs have raised concerns if Twitter can comply with the EU's Digital Services Act that requires internet platforms to put specific measures in place against illegal content, before the law comes into full effect in early 2024.

Twitter has been leaning heavily on automation to moderate content, doing away with certain manual reviews. It does not employ fact checkers, unlike larger rival Meta Platforms Inc, which owns Facebook and Instagram, the report said.

European Union industry chief Thierry Breton on a video call in January warned Musk of "huge work ahead" for Twitter to apply transparent use policies, significantly reinforce content moderation and protect freedom of speech.

(This story has been refiled to correct day to Tuesday in paragraph 1)

(Reporting by Kannaki Deka in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

   

Next In Tech News

How 'CoComelon' became a mass media juggernaut for preschoolers
Evolution of smartphone damage: From drips to drops
Are you tracking your health with a device? Here's what could happen with the data
US judge rejects SEC bid to sanction Elon Musk
What's really happening when you agree to a website's terms of service
Samsung ordered to pay $118 million for infringing Netlist patents
Sirius XM found liable in New York lawsuit over subscription cancellations
US Supreme Court tosses case involving securities fraud suit against Facebook
Amazon doubles down on AI startup Anthropic with another $4 billion
Factbox-Who are bankrupt Northvolt's creditors?

Others Also Read