According to a prominent European Union tech regulator, Twitter has demonstrated a strong commitment to comply with Europe’s new digital-content law. The regulator, Thierry Breton, stated that Twitter is actively working on ensuring compliance. This assessment was made following a visit by an EU team to Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco for a stress test aimed at evaluating the platform’s ability to adhere to the forthcoming law, which is set to take effect in late August.
Breton emphasized that the purpose of the test was not to disclose a public result but rather to discuss the necessary measures for Twitter to comply with the law. When asked about his trust in Twitter, Breton stated that trust was not a factor and that the law would be enforced as planned.
During the visit, Breton held a video conference with Twitter owner Elon Musk and an in-person meeting with Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino. The stress test, conducted voluntarily, serves as a trial run for the enforcement of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
Previously, Breton mentioned that a team of digital specialists from the EU would subject Twitter to content moderation evaluations as part of the stress test. The regulators aimed to assess how the company handles tweets that regulators consider problematic and investigate any gaps in content moderation. Twitter has undergone significant changes since Musk’s acquisition, including staff reductions and the departure of key personnel.
Breton confirmed that Twitter was the first company to undergo the stress test in preparation for the new law and highlighted the company’s serious approach to the exercise. Constructive dialogues were held with Musk and Yaccarino, with Breton emphasizing the importance of sufficient resources.
The European Union positions itself as a leading global tech regulator, introducing rules that it intends to export to democracies worldwide as a counterbalance to China’s influence. The U.K. is in the process of passing similar legislation, while tech regulation momentum in the United States remains uncertain.
Breton also mentioned that TikTok has expressed interest in undergoing a similar stress test with EU officials in July. A TikTok spokesperson confirmed the company’s willingness to meet with EU officials during the summer to demonstrate compliance with the new law.
During his time in the Bay Area, Breton planned to meet with CEOs such as Mark Zuckerberg from Meta Platforms and Sam Altman from OpenAI to discuss the EU’s upcoming tech laws. The DSA will apply its strictest rules to at least 19 major platforms, including Twitter, starting in late August, while smaller platforms will fall under its scope next year. Companies like Apple, Amazon.com, Meta Platforms, and Alphabet’s Google are among those subject to the law’s regulations.
The EU’s content moderation law empowers European regulators to impose penalties of up to 6% of a company’s annual revenue for violations discovered during such tests. In cases of repeated infringements, the EU has the authority to block a service.