X announced new measures against illegal content in the UK

X has made new commitments to reduce the spread of hate speech and terrorist content in the UK. According to information shared by the UK communications regulator Ofcom, the platform will accelerate the review processes for illegal content and block the access of accounts determined to be linked to terrorist organizations within the country. This statement of the company came at a time when research on the increase in hate speech was on the agenda after Elon Musk bought Twitter and rebranded the platform under the name X. A study conducted at the University of California, Berkeley campus revealed that the weekly rate of hate speech increased by 50 percent in the post-Musk period. The study stated that the increase in bot account activities was also effective in this increase.

Ofcom Online Safety Group Director Oliver Griffiths said there was evidence that terrorist content and illegal hate speech continued to exist on social media platforms. Griffiths stated that stronger steps are expected from the platforms, especially after the increase in hate crimes against the Jewish community in England. The regulatory body will regularly monitor the extent to which X’s promises will be realized in practice in the coming period.

According to the plan shared by X, the company aims to review terrorism and hate content reported in the UK within an average of 24 hours. In addition, the platform states that it will evaluate at least 85 percent of hate content within 48 hours at the latest. In addition, it is reported that the company will cooperate with experts working on hate speech and terrorist content in the UK. Blocking access to accounts that violate the rules is also among the planned measures.

Ofcom will monitor the performance of the X platform for a year

Ofcom said it would review data on X’s content moderation performance on a quarterly basis over the next year. X’s social networking service is not the only thing on the regulator’s agenda. The institution also continues its investigation into Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence system Grok. As part of the investigation, allegations that Grok created child abuse materials and intimate images produced without permission are being evaluated.

On the other hand, Ofcom fined online forum site 4chan approximately 700 thousand dollars in March under the UK’s Online Safety Act. The platform’s lawyer’s response to this penalty with a hamster image created with artificial intelligence attracted public attention. Regulatory pressure on online platforms seems to be increasing in the UK recently. Faster intervention is expected from companies, especially regarding the removal of illegal content and user security.

However, questions remain about how X’s new commitments will result in practice. Elon Musk’s posts on the platform and some of the content he re-shared have often been the subject of criticism before. For this reason, a cautious approach stands out in the technology world regarding how determined the company will be in combating hate speech. Still, new regulations coming into force in the UK are causing social media companies to review their content policies more strictly.