According to Jean-Noël Barrot, the digital minister of France, French Official Warns Twitter, Twitter may face a ban from the European Union if it continues to disregard the established regulations.

France’s digital minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, has entered the dispute between the European Union and Elon Musk’s Twitter, threatening to revoke the social media platform’s access to the bloc. French Official Warns Twitter. Barrot made the comments during an interview on France Info, stating that if the U.S. company doesn’t comply with the upcoming European Digital Services Act, which comes into force at the end of August, it will be prohibited from the EU. Barrot emphasized the danger presented by disinformation to democracies and reiterated that Twitter’s non-compliance with regulations could lead to a ban from the EU.

Twitter’s Withdrawal from EU Disinformation Code Sparks Conflict

The French minister’s comments represent a heightening of the ongoing conflict between European politicians and Twitter, which was purchased by Elon Musk, the controversial billionaire who also controls Tesla and SpaceX, last year. 

Last week, POLITICO reported that the social media platform had withdrawn from the EU’s voluntary disinformation code of practice, which outlines the responsibilities of large digital platforms in tracking political advertising, curbing disinformation, and encouraging wider access and participation. Other major social media platforms have pledged to adhere to the code, which is intended to anticipate some of the measures that will become compulsory under the forthcoming Digital Services Act. 

Digital Services Act Allows 6% Fines for Non-compliance; Commissioner Warns Twitter

The law allows for penalties of up to 6% of a company’s annual revenue for violations. In response to Twitter’s decision to pull out of the code, Internal Markets Commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted, “You can run but you can’t hide.”

Source: www.politico.eu