Twitter Cannot Hide from EU Rules after Exit from Code, Breton Says

FILED - 26 April 2022, Bavaria, Kempten: The logo of Twitter is seen on the display of a laptop. Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa
FILED - 26 April 2022, Bavaria, Kempten: The logo of Twitter is seen on the display of a laptop. Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa
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Twitter Cannot Hide from EU Rules after Exit from Code, Breton Says

FILED - 26 April 2022, Bavaria, Kempten: The logo of Twitter is seen on the display of a laptop. Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa
FILED - 26 April 2022, Bavaria, Kempten: The logo of Twitter is seen on the display of a laptop. Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa

Twitter cannot run away from its obligations even after quitting a voluntary EU code of practice to tackle disinformation, EU industry chief Thierry Breton warned the company late on Friday.

Companies which signed up to the code are required to provide regular progress reports with data on how much advertising revenue they had averted from disinformation actors.

They also have to provide information on the number or value of political advertisements accepted or rejected and instances of manipulative behaviors detected.

"Twitter leaves EU voluntary code of practice against disinformation. But obligations remain. You can run but you can't hide," Breton said in a tweet.

"Beyond voluntary commitments, fighting disinformation will be legal obligation under DSA as of August 25. Our teams will be ready for enforcement,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

Since Twitter was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk for $44 billion last October, the company has cut thousands of jobs and made numerous changes.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) obliges Twitter, Google, Meta Platforms Inc, Microsoft Corp, Alibaba's AliExpress and five other large online platforms to do more to tackle illegal online content.

Companies face fines of as much as 6% of their global turnover for violations.

Twitter, which no longer has a public relations department, responded to an emailed request for comment with a poop emoji.



Saudi Arabia: CST, SSA Launch SpaceUp Competition to Develop Innovative Space-Based Solutions

The SpaceUp Competition targets global and local entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs through six challenge tracks
The SpaceUp Competition targets global and local entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs through six challenge tracks
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Saudi Arabia: CST, SSA Launch SpaceUp Competition to Develop Innovative Space-Based Solutions

The SpaceUp Competition targets global and local entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs through six challenge tracks
The SpaceUp Competition targets global and local entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs through six challenge tracks

The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) and the Saudi Space Agency (SSA) have launched the global SpaceUp Competition, in partnership with Neo Space Group (NSG), which aims to promote Space entrepreneurship, support local companies specializing in Space-based solutions, attract global entrepreneurs, startups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and encourage the adoption of Space-based solutions by entities operating across various vital sectors.
According to a CST statement issued Monday, the SpaceUp Competition targets global and local entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs through six challenge tracks to develop Space-based solutions for challenges in vital sectors by linking the supply with the demand.
The competition presents about $28 Million contractual opportunities across all competition tracks, in addition to providing direct access with end-users, localization, and connecting with end-users to implement the proposed solutions.
The statement highlighted that the competition includes six challenge tracks supporting various sectors. The first track, “Monitoring Date Palms Pest and Disease,” sponsored by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and the Weqaa Center, focuses on providing Space-based solutions to monitor palm farms and detect pests. The second, “Improving City Livability by Monitoring Urban Heat Islands,” by the Quality of Life Program, aims at solving the problem of rising temperatures in crowded cities. The third is “Monitoring the Impact of Infrastructure Development” by Riyadh Infrastructure Projects Center to promote infrastructure projects and traffic management.
The fourth and fifth tracks are the “Optimizing Urban Road Assets” track which aims to provide solutions to detect urban road damage and elevate its maintenance, and “Mapping of Urban Trees” which aims to monitor and maintain urban green spaces, both sponsored by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing. The sixth, “Greening Saudi Arabia,” seeks to monitor tree growth and support sustainability efforts related to the Saudi Green Initiative.
"The SpaceUp Competition extends the efforts of CST and the SSA in enhancing investment opportunities in the Saudi Space sector and stimulating research and innovation," the statement added.