Will Twitter survive this latest hit?
(Picture: Twitter)The European Union has warned Twitter CEO Elon Musk that the platform may be banned if it does not tighten up its practises.
A “stress test” is planned for early 2023 to discover if Twitter is in breach of the EU’s rules, according to the FT.
“Twitter will have to implement transparent user policies, significantly reinforce content moderation, and protect freedom of speech, tackle disinformation with resolve, and limit targeted advertising,” says European commissioner for the internal market Thierry Breton.
But will Twitter be banned in the UK and what does it actually mean for Twitter users if that happens?
What happens if Twitter fails the test?
If Twitter fails the EU’s stress tests in 2023, it may receive a fine. An EU ban only seems likely if Twitter shows no willingness to improve its policies, to bring the social network’s service in line with the Digital Services Act.
The main issues here relate to the removal of hate speech and the dissemination of disinformation, and how much effort Twitter puts into addressing these problems.
While Twitter has likely changed less than some detractors claim since the platform was bought by Elon Musk, many of the employees who oversee safeguarding have been removed from the workforce, through one measure or another. Meanwhile, Twitter has reinstated accounts previously banned on the platform, including those of Donald Trump and Kanye West.
A recent EU report also found Twitter took longer to review “hateful” content in 2022 than in the previous year, and removed less of it.
Will Twitter be banned?
Mentions of Twitter being banned need not be taken as anything more than a setting out of the stakes at this point. You may have read similar headlines back in April, when both the UK and EU advised Elon Musk that he would have to comply with regulations to avoid possible fines and bans.
Even if the EU did ban Twitter, this would not extend to the UK. Here, Twitter is judged against the precepts of the Online Safety Bill, which has also garnered headlines this week after wording on “harmful content” was watered down.
If a ban were to happen in the UK, it would likely involve a removal of the Twitter app from key sources, like Google Play, the Apple App Store, and the Amazon Appstore.
Further measures could be taken, too, as seen in India, where WeChat and 58 other Chinese apps were banned permanently in 2021. The UK or EU could request internet service providers block Twitter servers, meaning even those who have the Twitter app installed would be unable to use the service.
There is another workaround, using a VPN to make it appear as though your phone is in another country. However, by that point, you may find yourself spending a lot of effort getting onto a social network abandoned by half or more of the people you used to follow.
