Twitter has developed a software tool to prevent users from reposting “content already identified as illegal”, but this tool did not work during the Annecy stabbing, according to an email from the media regulator seen by AFP.
This tool “failed on June 8 (the day of the attack, editor’s note) and the following days”, allowing “uploads of video content showing the attacks”, according to this email from the regulator, the ‘Arcom.
The authority received these explanations on Wednesday during the hearing from Twitter’s director of public affairs for France, Claire Dilé, then sent this information email to the European Commission.
Remove tagged content
In fact, Arcom is set to become the reference authority for France when the European regulation on digital services (DSA) comes into force.
According to the explanations of the head of Twitter, the social network has developed a tool called BMI “to automatically identify and delete content (videos, photos, etc.) already identified as illegal when users try to republish them.”
Due to its malfunction at the time of the Annecy attack, “Twitter had to rely on user reports and authorities to manually moderate reposts,” according to the email.
“Twitter also took the initiative to actively monitor relevant hashtags to identify and remove reposts,” Arcom adds.
“On the other hand, the company has not informed its partners (authorities, trusted standard-bearers, etc.) about this malfunction and the importance of continuing to report on new video publications,” the authority points out.
Excess
During her hearing, the Twitter manager “indicated that the company did not have at this stage any explanation of the reasons for the malfunction of the tool or visibility in its restoration.”
This hearing was organized to “understand” the way in which Twitter had handled this situation. In fact, the images of this attack had gone viral, while the social network owned by American billionaire Elon Musk is regularly accused of not moderating its content enough.
“On June 8 and 9, the Ministry of the Interior and the Minister of Digital worked with Twitter and other platforms to ensure that the video content showing the stabbing, illegal under French law, is removed,” recalls Arcom. Carried out by a Syrian refugee, the attack injured six people, including four very young children.
Source: BFM TV
