European Union justice chief Didier Reynders on Thursday expressed concern whether Twitter can comply with new tough EU rules against illegal online content as the company has shut down its Brussels office and laid off thousands of employees.
Reynders met with Twitter representatives at the social media platform’s European headquarters in Dublin and sought clarifications from the company, a European Commission official told Reuters.
“Twitter representatives reaffirmed the commitment of the company to ensure full compliance with EU rules. Commissioner Reynders took note of it and asked Twitter to translate this commitment into concrete measures,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The new rules or Digital Services Act will apply from February 2024. These rules require online platforms to do more to police the internet for illegal content or risk fines of as much as 6% of their annual global turnover, as per Reuters reports.
Speaking to Reuters, a person familiar with the matter informed that Twitter’s last two Brussels-based employees are no longer with the company. The team, which interacted with Commission officials on policy and regulatory issues, had originally numbered six people, he added.
Reynders also warned Twitter and other tech companies to do more to tackle online hate speech after the latest data showed they had removed less content this year than in previous years.
A week after Elon Musk’s takeover, on 4 November, Twitter fired around 3,700 people via email as a way to cut costs. Many employees learned they lost their job after their access to company-wide systems, like email and Slack, were suddenly suspended.
After layoffs, Musk has asked the remaining staffer to work harder if they want to become part of the company. He also wrote that employees “will need to be extremely hardcore” to build “a breakthrough Twitter 2.0″ and that long hours at high intensity will be needed for success.
However, hundreds of employees reportedly chose “no” to Musk’s demand and the hashtag #RIPTwitter started trending on the micro blogging site. It gained huge traction after resignations poured in from employees who refused to agree with Musk’s demands.
Over 110 Twitter employees across at least four continents had announced their decision to leave in public Twitter, Reuters reported.
Notable departures included Tess Rinearson, who was tasked with building a cryptocurrency team at Twitter. Rinearson tweeted the blue heart and salute emojis.
(With Reuters inputs)
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
