The EU is moving forward to run an initial ‘stress test’ for numerous renowned tech companies, leading up to Germany’s impending elections. The test is designed to gauge how these companies will counter misinformation and handle numerous stratagems that could potentially disrupt the election.
Officials from the European Commission have summoned a plethora of tech companies, such as X, Meta, Snap, TikTok, Google, Microsoft, and LinkedIn, for a meeting scheduled on January 31. During this unique rendezvous, the tech giants will be given potential election-interfering scenarios and be evaluated on their subsequent response.
The impending test serves as a litmus test for the EU’s Digital Services Act compliance, requiring these companies to have robust protection against misinformation and illicit content across their platforms.
Germany’s imminent snap federal election, being the most populous state of the EU, holds substantial implications for the entire bloc. It is speculated that the EU’s stern actions follow Romania’s recent cancellation of its presidential election’s results due to evidence suggesting Russian interference.
Elon Musk and X have also become involved in the unfolding German election situation. Musk interviewed Alice Weidel, the leader of Germany’s far-right AfD party, who is also a candidate for the upcoming election, on X. This move further underlines the importance of the role of these tech companies in combating election interference.
This report is hot on the heels of ex-President Donald Trump’s critique of the alleged ‘taxation’ nature of the regulation of U.S.-based tech companies by EU regulators at the Davos-held World Economic Forum.
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