A top European Union official warned Elon Musk on Wednesday that Twitter needs to beef up measures to protect users from hate speech, misinformation and other harmful content to avoid violating new rules that threaten tech giants with big fines or even a ban in the 27-nation bloc.
Thierry Breton, the EU's commissioner for digital policy, told the billionaire Tesla CEO that the social media platform will have to significantly increase efforts to comply with the new rules, known as the Digital Services Act, set to take effect next year.
The two held a video call to discuss Twitter's preparedness for the law, which will require tech companies to better police their platforms for material that, for instance, promotes terrorism, child sexual abuse, hate speech and commercial scams.
It's part of a new digital rule book that has made Europe the global leader in the push to rein in the power of social media companies, potentially setting up a clash with Musk's vision for a more unfettered Twitter. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also said Wednesday that an investigation into Musk's $44 billion purchase was not off the table.
Breton said he was pleased to hear that Musk considers the EU rules "a sensible approach to implement on a worldwide basis."
"But let's also be clear that there is still huge work ahead," Musk said, according to a readout of the call released by Breton's office. "Twitter will have to implement transparent user policies, significantly reinforce content moderation and protect freedom of speech, tackle disinformation with resolve, and limit targeted advertising."
After Musk, a self-described "free speech absolutist," bought Twitter a month ago, groups that monitor the platform for racist, antisemitic and other toxic speech, such the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, say it's been on the rise on the world's de facto digital public square.
Musk has signalled an interest in rolling back many of Twitter's previous rules meant to combat misinformation, most recently by abandoning enforcement of its COVID-19 misinformation policy. He already reinstated some high-profile accounts that had violated Twitter's content rules and had promised a "general amnesty" restoring most suspended accounts starting this week.
Twitter didn't respond to an email request for comment. In a separate blog post Wednesday, the company said "human safety" is its top priority and that its trust and safety team "continues its diligent work to keep the platform safe from hateful conduct, abusive behaviour, and any violation of Twitter's rules."
Musk, however, has laid off half the company's 7,500-person workforce, along with an untold number of contractors responsible for content moderation. Many others have resigned, including the company's head of trust and safety.
In the call Wednesday, Musk agreed to let the EU's executive Commission carry out a "stress test" at Twitter's headquarters early next year to help the platform comply with the new rules ahead of schedule, the readout said.
That will also help the company prepare for an "extensive independent audit" as required by the new law, which is aimed at protecting internet users from illegal content and reducing the spread of harmful but legal material.
Violations could result in huge fines of up to 6% of a company's annual global revenue or even a ban on operating in the European Union's single market.
Along with European regulators, Musk risks running afoul of Apple and Google, which power most of the world's smartphones. Both have stringent policies against misinformation, hate speech and other misconduct, previously enforced to boot apps like the social media platform Parler from their devices. Apps must also meet certain data security, privacy and performance standards.
Musk tweeted without providing evidence this week that Apple "threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won't tell us why." Apple hasn't commented but Musk backtracked on his claim Wednesday, saying he met with Apple CEO Tim Cook who "was clear that Apple never considered" removing Twitter.
Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen walked back her statements about whether Musk's purchase of Twitter warrants government review.
"I misspoke," she said at The New York Times' DealBook Summit on Wednesday, referring to a CBS interview this month where she said there was "no basis" to review the Twitter purchase.
The Treasury secretary oversees the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, an interagency committee that investigates the national security risks from foreign investments in American firms.
"If there are such risks, it would be appropriate for the Treasury to have a look," Yellen told The New York Times.
She declined to confirm whether CFIUS is currently investigating Musk's Twitter purchase.
Billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is, through his investment company, Twitter's biggest shareholder after Musk.
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Associated Press writers Fatima Hussein in Washington and Matt O'Brien in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, putting him in charge of a massive agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical research and the social safety net programs Medicare and Medicaid.
Taylor Swift is in Toronto to perform her first of six sold-out shows at the Rogers Centre tonight.
Teamsters Canada says if Canada Post workers go on strike or are locked out, its members at Purolator won't handle any packages postmarked or identified as originating from the carrier.
A newly released report is urging Canada to immediately end all government-funded research collaborations with China in a variety of different areas.
The number of measles cases in New Brunswick continues to climb. Officials with New Brunswick’s Department of Health said as of Thursday, the number of confirmed cases since October has reached 43.
Police say an officer who forcefully removed a 'weapon' from a protester outside of a Hindu temple in Brampton was acting 'within the lawful execution of his duties' after bystander video of the incident circulated widely online.
A disruption in Canada Post services would hit some Canadians harder than others. As the deadline approaches for a potential strike at midnight Friday, CTVNews.ca asked readers how it would affect them and how they are preparing.
Police in North Vancouver say they prevented the theft of nearly $13,000 worth of cheese from a grocery store earlier this year. Now, they're asking the public for help finding the alleged thief.
The City of Longueuil has partially lifted the confinement measure currently in effect around the site of a CN train derailment near Jacques-Cartier West Boulevard and Saint-Georges Street after the incident spilt an unknown quantity of hydrogen peroxide Thursday morning.
Police in North Vancouver say they prevented the theft of nearly $13,000 worth of cheese from a grocery store earlier this year. Now, they're asking the public for help finding the alleged thief.
Removing bike lanes on sections of Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue could cost taxpayers at least $48 million.
The City of Longueuil has partially lifted the confinement measure currently in effect around the site of a CN train derailment near Jacques-Cartier West Boulevard and Saint-Georges Street after the incident spilt an unknown quantity of hydrogen peroxide Thursday morning.
Starting in January, people will be able to make online reservations for campsites for the 2025 season.
Police say an officer who forcefully removed a 'weapon' from a protester outside of a Hindu temple in Brampton was acting 'within the lawful execution of his duties' after bystander video of the incident circulated widely online.
A teenage boy arrested along with more than 20 others following a gun battle in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood was wanted in connection with a deadly home invasion in Etobicoke back in April, Toronto police say.
The Pentagon's latest report on UFOs has revealed hundreds of new reports of unidentified and unexplained aerial phenomena but no indications suggesting an extraterrestrial origin.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, putting him in charge of a massive agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical research and the social safety net programs Medicare and Medicaid.
King Charles III will mark his 76th birthday on Thursday by opening two food distribution hubs, as part of his Coronation Food Project that he launched a year ago in the hopes of bridging the gap between food poverty and food waste.
Masses of residents fled a running battle Thursday between gang members and police in one of the few neighborhoods of Haiti’s capital that hadn't already been fully taken over by gangs, as violence flared amid political turmoil.
South Africa's government says it won't help a group of illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country's North West province who have been denied access to basic supplies as part of an official strategy against illegal mining.
Donald Trump has had few defenders in Congress as reliable as Matt Gaetz, who has thundered at one prosecutor after another for perceived bias against the president-elect and emphatically amplified the Republican's rallying cry that the criminal investigations into him are 'witch hunts.'
A newly released report is urging Canada to immediately end all government-funded research collaborations with China in a variety of different areas.
The chair of the Liberal party's Indigenous caucus says Indigenous identity is 'complicated' after questions have been raised about the claims of two Liberal MPs who currently sit with the group and one cabinet minister who is no longer a member.
Within days, thousands of frontline RCMP officers will be starting their shifts equipped with a body-worn camera, as the national police force begins deploying the program across Canada.
The number of measles cases in New Brunswick continues to climb. Officials with New Brunswick’s Department of Health said as of Thursday, the number of confirmed cases since October has reached 43.
There are certain phrases that Wachuka Gichohi finds difficult to hear after enduring four years of living with long COVID, marked by debilitating fatigue, pain, panic attacks and other symptoms so severe she feared she would die overnight.
More than 800 million adults have diabetes worldwide – almost twice as many as previous estimates have suggested – and more than half of those aged over 30 who have the condition are not receiving treatment, according to a new study.
Jenni Gibbons was inspired to become an astronaut at a young age by Canada’s early space explorers, including Roberta Bondar. Now, the Artemis II backup crew member is hoping she can motivate the next generation to look to the stars.
Zookeepers in Scotland have blamed pyrotechnics from annual Bonfire Night celebrations for the death of a baby red panda named Roxie.
It’s more than 100 feet long, at least 300 years old and visible from space. The world’s largest coral has just been discovered in the southwest Pacific Ocean, scientists announced Wednesday.
The lawyer for a former cast member of the 'Real Housewives of New York' told a federal judge Thursday that the First Amendment cannot shield the show’s creators from a lawsuit alleging that the show’s participants were subjected to a “rotted workplace culture.”
Taylor Swift is in Toronto to perform her first of six sold-out shows at the Rogers Centre tonight.
Longoria said she has increasingly felt like the US is "a scary place" and that she feels it will continue to be following the results of the presidential election.
Amid a potential postal worker strike, here’s a look at how many letters and parcels the corporation delivers and how those numbers have changed in the internet age.
Teamsters Canada says if Canada Post workers go on strike or are locked out, its members at Purolator won't handle any packages postmarked or identified as originating from the carrier.
European Union regulators issued their first antitrust fine to Facebook parent Meta on Thursday with a penalty of nearly 800 million euros for what they call 'abusive practices' involving its Marketplace online classified ads business.
The California Insurance Department said four Los Angeles residents were arrested Wednesday, accused of defrauding three insurance companies out of nearly $142,000 by claiming a bear had caused damage to their vehicles.
A sculpture bought for just £5 (US$6) and used as a doorstop could sell for more than £2.5 million (US$3.2 million) after a Scottish court gave the green light for its sale.
In case you can't get enough of the little pygmy hippo Moo Deng from Thailand, there's now an official song featuring the internet's favourite baby animal — released in four languages for her global fans.
The Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 home games at the New York Yankees' nearby spring training ballpark amid uncertainty about the future of hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field, Rays executives told The Associated Press.
The world's tallest teenager might have to wait a year to become the world's tallest college basketball player.
Mounted police and helicopters surveyed fans on Thursday night as France hosted Israel in a Nations League soccer game, a week after violence erupted in Amsterdam in connection with an Israeli club team’s visit.
In part two of a three-part series into how thieves are able to drive off with modern vehicles so easily, CTV W5 correspondent Jon Woodward uses a device flagged by police to easily clone a car key.
When a Tesla crashed on Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto last month, the first people on scene knew there were occupants inside but couldn't immediately get them out.
Almost four out of five Canadian drivers switch to winter tires when the weather calls for them, according to a new survey.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
Four years ago, Phill Hebb started up 'Phil’s Unique Birdhouses' and since then, they’ve made their way all across Canada and into the United States.
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Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
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Police in North Vancouver say they prevented the theft of nearly $13,000 worth of cheese from a grocery store earlier this year. Now, they're asking the public for help finding the alleged thief.
The federal government is providing more than $574 million in financing to help build about 950 rental homes in Vancouver.
Taylor Swift is in Toronto to perform her first of six sold-out shows at the Rogers Centre tonight.
Five unhoused people who were staying in tents near the Rogers Centre have been given spaces in a Toronto shelters ahead of six sold-out Taylor Swift concerts that are expected to result in a significant influx of visitors to the downtown core.
Police are trying to identify a man who is wanted in connection with four recent sexual assaults in northeast Toronto.
New EMS data obtained from Alberta Health Services (AHS) outlines a substantial improvement in reducing “red alerts” for the Calgary Zone, in which no ambulances are readily available, but whistleblowers say the data is misleading and thousands of patients are still being left waiting for too long.
A Calgary company that appealed its convictions and associated fine for its role in the death of one of its workers has been denied by the court.
The City of Calgary is crediting a new tool with helping crews complete a record number of pothole repairs this year.
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Taylor Swift is set to hit in the stage in Toronto to kick off the Eras Tour run at the Rogers Centre, and Ottawa's Swifties who are gearing up for the big event share the excitement.
Seventeen people are facing charges following an 18-month investigation into the illegal drug trade operating in the Ottawa area.
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The City of Longueuil has partially lifted the confinement measure currently in effect around the site of a CN train derailment near Jacques-Cartier West Boulevard and Saint-Georges Street after the incident spilt an unknown quantity of hydrogen peroxide Thursday morning.
After struggling with her identity after coming out as a trans woman, Jeanette Scott turned to a personal stylist so that she could be more comfortable in her femininity.
The RCMP officer who shot a man who had a paintball gun outside the Ponoka, Alta., courthouse in February 2022 has been cleared.
Edmonton police are investigating a shooting in central Edmonton Thursday afternoon.
The City of Edmonton said a "major" lane shift will take place on 23 Avenue and 111 Street starting on Sunday.
Halifax Water is asking residents and businesses supplied by the Lake Major Water Supply Plant to begin following voluntary water conservation measures.
Almost two weeks after an eviction notice deadline passed, about six people remain at the University Avenue tent encampment in Halifax.
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has given marching orders to her new cabinet ministers to fulfil promises made during last month's election.
The Manitoba government has unveiled a new tough-on-crime plan to make Manitoba a safer place to live.
Manitoba Hydro is currently dealing with a large power outage in Winnipeg's northeast.
A Manitoba organization got an on-stage shoutout from The Boss Wednesday night.
The City of Regina released official election results Thursday afternoon and said nearly 53,000 people cast a ballot in either advance polls or on election day.
Two people have been charged after Saskatchewan RCMP seized 31 guns from a residence in Lafleche and a rural yard site south of the town.
Regina's mayor-elect Chad Bachynski believes a grassroots style campaign and the desire for change led him to victory in the Queen City on Wednesday night.
Fight for Farmland is once again demanding a delay in the Wilmot land assembly process, but this time it’s not over transparency or environmental concerns.
Some people from Guelph are looking for a new place to stay after the City of Guelph tried to clear a downtown encampment.
Taylor Swift is in Toronto to perform her first of six sold-out shows at the Rogers Centre tonight.
Elections Saskatoon experienced a few issues Wednesday night, which translated into significant delays in reporting voting results for the 2024 civic election.
Cynthia Block is the 29th mayor of Saskatoon, and the first woman elected to the position in the city's history.
Saskatoon voters made their mark on Wednesday, casting ballots in the city's civic election and making history by electing the city's first female mayor. The election also brought fresh faces to the city council.
The Pentagon's latest report on UFOs has revealed hundreds of new reports of unidentified and unexplained aerial phenomena but no indications suggesting an extraterrestrial origin.
A 72-year-old from Blind River has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault involving a victim under the age of 16.
South Africa's government says it won't help a group of illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country's North West province who have been denied access to basic supplies as part of an official strategy against illegal mining.
Iwan Smolders, 45, was known to be a loving husband, father and community man. On October 11, 2021 that all ended when he was struck and killed while out on a bike ride along Calvert Drive.
The jury at the bush party shooting trial sat in a London courthouse on Thursday and listened to a second day of recorded police interviews with one of the accused, Carlos Guerra Guerra.
A Huron County man has lost his hunting license after nearly hitting a municipal employee with an errant shot this past summer.
Nick Vassilodimitrakis appeared in a Barrie courtroom Thursday morning representing himself by video from a detention centre in London, Ont. where he pleaded guilty to stabbing veteran Barrie police officer Jim Peters.
Provincial police charged a 44-year-old man from Midland following an incident on Wednesday that resulted in a hold and secure measure at a nearby high school and a road closure.
While it may not be December just yet, package deliveries left on porches are once again the target for thieves or so-called 'porch pirates.'
Around 200 students walked out of class at Riverside Secondary School to protest a recent decision by Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) trustees to cut a specialized diploma program offering an enriched learning stream.
For the holiday season, the LaSalle Firefighters Association has launched a new charity initiative.
The excitement is starting to build for this year’s Santa Claus Parade returning to downtown Windsor. This year, Santa will bring some special guests along with him.
Mounties in Nanaimo say they're investigating an incident at a local nightclub and are issuing "a generic warning to the public" about drinks being spiked.
A woman from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has been handed a $35,000 penalty after admitting she "carried on" as a mortgage broker in the preparation of 10 mortgage applications, despite lacking the necessary registration.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.
RCMP say one person was killed in a head-on crash near Drumheller.
Lethbridge police say a number of arrests have been made following an investigation on Thursday morning.
Lethbridge police have charged two people in connection with a weekend carjacking that saw a stolen vehicle driven dangerously throughout the city.
A 72-year-old from Blind River has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault involving a victim under the age of 16.
A victim who tried to intervene as two people stole items from a Sault business Tuesday was threatened with a machete.
A northern Ontario couple has been charged in the death of their three-month-old baby girl who was found in September 2022 with no vital signs.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
On Thursday morning, Dave Penny officially ended a suggested hundred-day isolation period that followed his diagnosis and stem cell treatment for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On Thursday night, Penny returned to a stage at a downtown St. John's bar, regaling a small crowd with songs and stories with a distinctive Newfoundland flair.
A Memorial University scientist says the mysterious white blobs washing up on Newfoundland beaches are actually gobs of plastic -- and they need to be cleaned up.
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