Twitter decides to step back from EU’s voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation

Twitter has decided to withdraw from the voluntary agreement with the European Union to combat online disinformation. According to EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton, Twitter’s exit from the “Code of Practice” against disinformation has not gone unnoticed. With the upcoming enforcement of the Digital Services Act on August 25th, very large online platforms like Twitter will be required to take a more proactive approach to content moderation.

Despite not having a communications department that Engadget could reach out to for comment, Twitter had originally signed onto the EU’s Code of Practice against disinformation back in 2018. This decision to withdraw just months before the DSA enforcement begins could indicate a strategy to avoid compliance with the bloc’s rules on content moderation.

However, disregarding the DSA could lead to costly consequences for Twitter and Elon Musk. The legislation allows EU officials to impose penalties of up to 10 percent of global annual turnover for violations, with the possibility of fines reaching up to 20 percent for repeated non-compliance. The European Commission has also warned that persistent non-compliance could result in the EU blocking access to the offending services.