EU vs X: The Battle for Truth

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Global Recap
September 27, 2023 • Read in: 5 minutes

Hi Global Recap readers,

There are only a few days left of September!

Time really flies when you get caught up in geopolitics drama all around the globe every day…

🌐 Here’s what’s up around the world:

  • Kids Sue Europe for Climate Inaction.

  • US Soldier Deported from North Korea.

  • Israel Gets Visa-Free Entry to US.

  • New Info on Nord Stream Pipelines Sabotage.

  • EU vs X: The Battle for Truth.

Let’s get into today’s news.

📈 Top News

🔥 Kids Sue Europe for Climate Inaction. Six young Portuguese youths, aged 11 to 24, are taking 32 countries to the European Court of Human Rights. They accuse these nations of failing to protect them from the devastating impacts of climate change.

They claim their health and lives have been damaged by rising temperatures and its catastrophic side effects.

🏃‍♂️ US Soldier Deported from North Korea After Illegal Entry. Private Travis King, who defected to North Korea by crossing the border two months ago, has been expelled by the authorities. A US official has confirmed that King is now in American custody in China.

North Korea claims that King confessed to illegally entering the country due to his “ill feelings against the inhumane maltreatment and racial discrimination” in the US. However, these claims are met with skepticism.

🇮🇱🇺🇸 Israel Gets Visa-Free Entry to US, But Not Without a Catch. Israelis can now travel to the US without a visa, thanks to a new agreement between the two allies. However, some Palestinians and Democrats have opposed Israel’s inclusion in the program, citing its alleged discrimination and harassment of Arab Americans at its borders.

One of the conditions is that Israel must treat all US citizens equally, including Palestinian-Americans. As a result, restrictions placed on them previously will now be relaxed.

💥 Nord Stream Pipelines Sabotaged by Mystery Explosions. A year after the attack on the gas pipelines from Russia to Germany, scientists have revealed new evidence of four man-made blasts, not two (as previously thought).

Who did it and why remains a mystery.

✍️ In-Depth

Europe
EU vs X: The Battle for Truth

🤯 X marks the spot. Elon Musk’s social media platform X is under fire from the EU for spreading Russian disinformation.

🕵️‍♂️ The EU’s Investigation. The European Commission conducted a study of 6,000 posts from three countries and found that X had the highest ratio of Russian propaganda among major social networks. The report found that X was used as a “weapon of mass manipulation” by the Kremlin.

🙅‍♂️ Musk’s History with EU. Musk, who owns X, has been critical of the EU’s efforts to regulate online platforms.

  • Last year, X initially signed up for the voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation, which sets standards for fighting fake news and misinformation online.

  • Earlier this year, however, he pulled out of it - drawing this threat from the European Commissioner for Internal Market:

  • Fast forward to Tuesday this week, The EU’s vice president Vera Jourova said that X “has to comply with hard law” and stop the spread of disinformation on its platform. She said that the EU was “watching” X and could impose fines or sanctions if it failed to act.

*The Digital Services Act (DSA) is an EU law that aims to make online platforms more accountable for the content they host and more transparent about their algorithms and advertising practices.

Here’s X’s response to the EU’s findings, vowing to comply with the DSA, while also disagreeing with the data and the framing of the report:

🤔 Why it matters. The clash between the EU and X reflects a broader debate about how to balance free speech and public safety online. It also raises questions about how to regulate powerful tech companies that operate across borders and have a huge impact on society.