May 27 (UPI) — Twitter has withdrawn from the European Union’s online disinformation code of practice, a voluntary agreement that most major social media platforms pledged to abide, prompting a warning from the bloc against hiding from legal liability.
European Commissioner Thierry Breton revealed that Twitter had abandoned the code in a statement posted on the social media platform Friday.
“Twitter leaves EU voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation. But obligations remain. You can run but you can’t hide,” Breton said.
“Beyond voluntary commitments, fighting disinformation will be legal obligation under [the Digital Services Act] as of August 25. Our teams will be ready for enforcement.”
The DSA, a separate law signed last year, was designed “to create a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected” which includes protections against the “spread of disinformation.”
The disinformation code was signed by Twitter’s previous management team in 2018 before the company was purchased by controversial billionaire Elon Musk in November.
The news came as a report revealed that Musk used his power at the company to seize an account from another user for himself.
The Platformer newsletter revealed that Twitter handed over the account “@e,” a coveted single-letter handle that was taken from the previous owner.
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