Does X have too few moderators?

Does X have too few moderators?

Brussels, November 12, 2023

According to a European Commission official, X/Twitter only has 2,294 content moderators who must comply with EU online rules, significantly fewer than Google and TikTok. In September, tech firms submitted reports to the EU on their moderation efforts and other details in line with the bloc’s new Digital Services Act (DSA).

The DSA requires major online platforms like X and Google to do more to combat harmful and illegal content. Concerns arose after owner Elon Musk fired many of the company’s employees who were responsible for monitoring and regulating content. Ella Irwin, Twitter’s head of trust and safety who led content moderation efforts, also left in June.

The EU’s DSA includes 19 “very large online platforms” with over 45 million monthly users, including Amazon, Apple’s App Store, Google Play, YouTube and X.

Companies must adhere to rules on content moderation, ad targeting of minors, sensitive data and risk analysis or face bans or fines of up to 6% of their annual revenue.

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