All articles tagged with #illegal content
Facebook and Instagram are allegedly violating the EU's Digital Services Act by using deceptive interface designs to hinder illegal content reporting and restricting researcher access to data, potentially facing significant fines.
Aylo Holdings, the parent company of Pornhub, has admitted in federal court to profiting from pornographic content that depicted sex trafficking victims. The company pleaded not guilty to engaging in unlawful monetary transactions involving sex trafficking proceeds but agreed to pay damages to women who were forced to appear in pornographic videos posted on its websites without their consent. As part of a deferred prosecution agreement, Aylo will pay a fine of over $1.8 million and be assigned a monitor to assess its content screening protocols. Aylo, previously known as MindGeek, operated websites that allowed third parties to distribute adult content, including videos from production companies GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys. The company continued to host the videos and profit from the partnership despite being aware of fraudulent consent forms and lawsuits filed by victims.
The European Union has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter) over the spread of illegal content, potentially violating the Digital Services Act. The investigation comes amid increasing scrutiny of the platform for the dissemination of misinformation and antisemitic content related to the conflict in Gaza. X could face fines of up to 6% of its global revenue if found in violation. The company has stated its commitment to complying with the law and creating a safe environment for users while protecting freedom of expression.
UK regulator Ofcom has released its first guidelines for tech firms to comply with the Online Safety Act, which aims to tackle illegal content such as child sexual abuse material, terrorism content, and fraud. The guidelines propose that tech platforms be proactive in removing illegal content and implement measures like blocking strangers from sending direct messages to children and using hash matching to detect and remove illegal material. Compliance with the guidelines will be voluntary, but failure to comply could result in fines or even blocking of offending sites in the UK. The guidelines also cover other illegal harms like harassment and the supply of drugs and firearms. However, controversial issues such as end-to-end encryption and AI-generated content will be addressed in future consultations.
X, formerly known as Twitter, has responded to allegations from the European Union (EU) that it is being used to spread illegal content and disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. X CEO Linda Yaccarino stated that the company has identified and removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts and is committed to removing terrorist organizations and violent extremist groups from the platform. The EU's commissioner for internal market, Thierry Breton, has given X 24 hours to respond to the notice and expects the company to cooperate with law enforcement authorities. The EU has introduced the Digital Services Act, which requires online platforms to police illegal content more aggressively or face significant fines.
The European Union (EU) has sent a letter to Elon Musk, CEO of X (formerly known as Twitter), warning that the platform is spreading illegal content and disinformation following the Hamas attacks on Israel. The EU's Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, urged Musk to update content enforcement policies and promptly manage content that violates the bloc's tech laws. The Digital Services Act (DSA) sets obligations for content moderation to ensure user safety and prevent the spread of harmful content. Concerns about accessing reliable information on X have increased under Musk's leadership, with misinformation about the attacks being shared. Breton called for better mitigation measures and a response from Musk within 24 hours, reminding him of potential non-compliance penalties. X's Community Notes feature aims to correct misinformation and is actively working on improving accuracy notifications for users.