Elon Musk, Hamas, and Disinformation
October 12, 2023
Privacy Plus+
Privacy, Technology and Perspective
Elon Musk, Hamas, and Disinformation. This week, in the wake of the recent abhorrent attacks by Hamas on Israel, let’s revisit the critical topic of disinformation, especially considering Elon Musk's notable withdrawal of Twitter from the EU's Code of Practice aimed at combating this issue.
Background:
The Evolution of Warfare and Propaganda: Ever since the earliest days of non-mercenary, citizen-armies, propaganda has consistently been a crucial aspect of warfare, alongside economic, political, and military strategies. Its evolution is evident, transitioning from: word-of-mouth to pamphlets, early journalistic endeavors, artistic representations, world war campaigns, and now, the digital outreach through social media platforms.
The EU's Fight Against Disinformation and the Code of Practice: The European Commission, through mandates like the Digital Services Act, has compelled major tech entities, including Meta (Facebook), TikTok, Google, and Microsoft, to actively thwart the dissemination of disinformation via their platforms, primarily targeting interference from Russia and its affiliates. These corporations have adhered to a self-regulatory Code of Practice to counteract disinformation, showcasing their compliance and efforts in recent reports published in late September. More details can be found by clicking on the following link:
Twitter's Conspicuous Absence and EU's Response: A glaring omission from this initiative was Twitter, following Elon Musk's decision to retract the platform's involvement earlier this year. This drew a stern response from the European Commission, which unequivocally informed Musk that X (Twitter) must adhere to EU regulations on disinformation, irrespective of its non-participation in the voluntary code, underlining potential legal consequences. This interaction preceded the recent atrocities in Israel and can be further explored by clicking on the following link:
Current Focus:
Crisis in Israel and the Disinformation Menace: In the current crisis, the world's attention is riveted on Israel and Gaza. Social media is inundated with often graphic content related to Hamas' attack — some images are fabricated, intended to mislead, while others are tragically authentic, designed to provoke outrage. Amidst this, Twitter appears to lack adequate moderation, letting disinformation run rampant. Responsible media organizations are highlighting this issue, as seen here:
https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2023/10/11/misinformation-israel-hamas-fake-video-zw-orig.cnn
EU's Vigilance and Potential Actions: The European Commission is closely monitoring Twitter's questionable handling of this crisis, reaffirming its earlier warnings. Recent developments suggest that the EU's tolerance is waning, and without noticeable changes, Twitter may face severe penalties, potentially including operational restrictions within Europe. However, recognizing Twitter's potential for positive impact, it's hoped any sanctions would be financial, not prohibitive. The following links provide the latest updates:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/oct/09/x-twitter-elon-musk-disinformation-israel-hamas
Our Thoughts:
Incidents like these often shift focus from the legalistic frameworks guiding social media giants to the ethical obligations accompanying their immense influence, especially as generative artificial intelligence (AI) exponentially enables torrents of synthetic content. The potential for AI to fabricate realistic media and text underscores the urgent need for leaders in technology to shift focus from legal adherence to moral accountability. This is particularly crucial as they navigate the delicate balance between fostering innovation and preventing their platforms from becoming breeding grounds for disinformation and deepfakes, which can have far-reaching societal impacts.
In this environment, the responsibility of figures like Musk, who command significant digital empires, extends beyond corporate boundaries to global information integrity, and even to peace itself. They must champion safety and transparency, ensure system designs uphold ethical standards, and advocate for establishing universal regulations as well as invest in educating their users about how to discern authenticity in the AI age. As AI's capabilities continue to expand, the guiding principle for these digital moguls remains steadfast: with immense power comes profound responsibility, necessitating a commitment to safeguarding truth and trust in our global digital discourse.
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Hosch & Morris, PLLC is a boutique law firm dedicated to data privacy and protection, cybersecurity, the Internet and technology. Open the Future℠.