X removes hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts since attack, says CEO Linda Yaccarino

The move came in response to European Union industry chief Thierry Breton's 24 hour-ultimatum to Elon Musk to tackle the spread of disinformation on his X messaging platform since the Hamas assault to comply with new EU online content rules

Reuters, 12.10.23 : The X social media platform has removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts and taken action to remove or label tens of thousands of pieces of content since the militant group's attack on Israel, its chief executive Linda Yaccarino said on Thursday.

The move came in response to European Union industry chief Thierry Breton's 24 hour-ultimatum to Elon Musk to tackle the spread of disinformation on his X messaging platform since the Hamas assault to comply with new EU online content rules.

Breton, who said he had indications that X - formerly known as Twitter - was being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU, said his team would analyse Yaccarino's reply and decide on next steps.

The recently implemented Digital Services Act (DSA) requires large online platforms, including X and Meta's Facebook, to do more to remove illegal content and to take measures to tackle the risks to public security and civic discourse.

X has redistributed resources and refocused internal teams to address the rapidly evolving situation, Yaccarino said, without specifying the changes. She added that the company assembled a leadership group to assess the situation shortly after the attack.

"We wish to reiterate that we welcome further engagement with you and your team, including a meeting, to address any specific questions and look forward to receiving further specifics to which we can respond" Yaccarino said in the letter to Breton, posted on X.

X has responded to more than 80 take-down requests received in the EU within the required timeline and has not received any notices from Europol regarding illegal content on the platform, the letter says.

Breton issued a similar warning to Meta on Wednesday, giving the company 24 hours to inform him of measures taken to counter the spread of disinformation on its platforms following the attack on Israel.