CONTENT MODERATION AND THE FUTURE OF TWITTER

There are palpable fears that lack of content moderation at Twitter may lead to more harmful messages than expected.

0DVV OD\RͿV DW WKH JOREDO VRFLDO PHGLD platform had whittled down control of content so much that just anyone and anything could now be posted with minimal regulation.

It’s good bye to content moderation and in a SXVK IRU DXWRPDWLRQ DQG DUWLÀFLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH propelled regulation of content against the original manual moderation of same as Twitter heads the opposite of what it was.

6LQFH WKH PDVV OD\RͿV IROORZLQJ (ORQ Musk’s takeover, many analysts have noticed a spike in hate speech and disinformation on the platform. One analyst reasons that one of the biggest sources of misinformation is where state governments try to push through political propaganda.

Twitter is a social broadcast network that enables people and organizations to publicly share brief messages instantly around the world. This brings a variety of people with

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Twitter says people are allowed to post FRQWHQW LQFOXGLQJ SRWHQWLDOO\ LQÁDPPDWRU\ content, as long as they’re not violating the Twitter Rules. Strangely it’s important to know that Twitter does not screen content or remove SRWHQWLDOO\ RͿHQVLYH FRQWHQW

This is where the crisis looms. Only recently, a key player in the Twitter management resigned for allegedly critising operations at the place.

In Europe, the Digital Service Act has been LQWURGXFHG DQG ÀJKWLQJ GLVLQIRUPDWLRQ ZLOO become a legal obligation in the EU by August 25, 2023 when platforms with more than 45 million monthly active users - including Twitter - will have to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA) - a set of rules aimed to protect Europeans online.

The act will force big online platforms and search engines to be more diligent in their content moderation and cut down on disinformation.

For Twitter, this would mean allowing users WR ÁDJ LOOHJDO FRQWHQW RQ WKH SODWIRUP DQG DFW quickly to address the spread of disinformation.

Twitter will have to look critically into how its content could be moderated because concerns have been raised that Twitter does not have enough volunteer moderators such as Wikipedia and has a poor record when it comes to policing content that’s not in English.

´7KH ODFN RI KXPDQ PRGHUDWRUV LQVX΀FLHQW training in human rights, and also their content moderation systems that are being predominantly trained for English language or more Western speaking audience in contrast to minority languages or languages of the global South is troubling” according to analysts. Ella Irwin, formerly Twitter’s head of trust and safety, resigned last week Friday. Though she did not say why she was leaving, but the departure was shortly after Musk criticized Twitter’s handling of tweets about a conservative media company’s documentary that questions transgender medical treatment for children and teens.

Musk responded to complaints by Jeremy Boreing, co-CEO of the media company, the Daily Wire. Boreing had said in tweets and retweets of conservative commentators last Thursday that Twitter ZDV VXSSUHVVLQJ WKH PRYLH E\ ÁDJJLQJ posts about it as hate speech and keeping WKH PRYLH RͿ OLVWV RI WUHQGLQJ WRSLFV

Boreing tweeted that Twitter canceled a deal to premiere “What is a Woman?” for free on the platform “because of two instances of ‘misgendering.’” Twitter rules prohibit intentionally referring to transgender individuals with the wrong gender or name.

The departure of Irwin pointed to a IUHVK ZDYH RI WXUPRLO DPRQJ NH\ R΀FLDOV at Twitter since Musk took over last year. To forestall further damage and minimize potential crises in Twitter, Musk stepped down early this week and handed over to a new Chief Executive, Ms Linda Yaccarrino.

Ms Yaccarino, who is 60 years-old, will oversee business operations at the platform, which has been struggling to make money.

Since buying Twitter, Musk cut 75% of its employees including teams charged with tracking abuse and changed how the FRPSDQ\ YHULÀHV DXWKHQWLF DFFRXQWV

Meanwhile, advertisers have left in large numbers too.

Ms Yaccarino is credited with helping to steer NBC Universal through the upheaval FDXVHG E\ WHFKQRORJ\ ÀUPV

Yaccarino, the new boss of troubled social Twitter, has started the role earlier than expected after Musk announced on May 12 that a new boss would emerge in six weeks.

Ms Yaccarino, previously head of advertising at NBCUniversal, joined days after Twitter lost its second head of trust and safety. Twitter also announced it had recruited Joe Benarroch from NBCUniversal.

Since Musk took over Twitter last year, many have accused him of amplifying disinformation on the platform, especially as the billionaire’s promise to turn Twitter into a beacon of free speech was followed by the reinstatement of previously suspended or banned accounts, like those of Donald Trump and Andrew Tate.

Many of the accounts he restored had been suspended or banned for spreading misinformation, conspiracy theories, or hateful speeches.

European Commission’s Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Vera Jourova recently bashed Twitter’s latest decision to leave the EU’s anti-disinformation code as “irresponsible” at a time when Russia’s disinformation is extremely dangerous.

“Bye, bye birdie,” Jourova tweeted on Saturday. “Twitter has chosen a hard way to comply with our digital laws,” she added. “Russia’s disinformation is dangerous and it is irresponsible to leave [the] EU’s antidisinformation Code”.

signed up to the EU’s anti-disinformation code revamped last year, including Meta (with Instagram and Facebook), TikTok, Google, Microsoft and Twitch.