Tech titans, including TikTok and Twitter, renamed X, failed to effectively tackle Russian disinformation online during the first year of the war in Ukraine, a study for the EU has found.
The independent study for the EU published on Wednesday comes after tougher rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA) kicked in this month for the world’s biggest online platforms.
The report focused on risks from pro-Kremlin disinformation on six platforms – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (rebranded X), YouTube, TikTok and Telegram – and whether the companies’ actions complied with elements of the DSA.
Except Telegram, all must currently comply with the DSA’s stricter rules that demand a more aggressive approach to policing content – including disinformation and hate speech.
“The evidence suggests that online platforms failed to implement these measures at a systemic level,” the study wrote.
Most major platforms signed the code last year but Twitter withdrew in June.
The authors warned that Russian online disinformation has increased in 2023, especially after SpaceX and Tesla billionaire Elon Musk took over Twitter late last year.
“The reach and influence of Kremlin-backed accounts has grown further in the first half of 2023, driven in particular by the dismantling of Twitter’s safety standards.”
Musk unleashed a wave of sackings when he took over, firing many moderators who vetted Twitter content for disinformation and harmful messages.
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