It’s no secret that Elon Musk has not been good for Twitter, but just when you think he’s going to stop pulling strings that annoy people, you realize how naïve you really are.
This time, the drama, spearheaded by France’s Digital Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, centers on the threat of a European ban if Musk and his pet project (Twitter) continue to ignore the disinformation rules put forth by the EU. As reported on by Deadline who quoted Barrot from his France Info interview: “Disinformation is one of the gravest threats weighing on our democracies. Twitter, if it repeatedly doesn’t follow our rules, will be banned from the EU.”
Turns out Musk got them all worked up by refusing to sign their voluntary Code of Practice on Disinformation document. That’s right it was voluntary. Guess it’s voluntary as long as you sign it. Did I mention it was voluntary?
Anyhow the guide in question lays out parameters tech companies need to obey if they want to continue doing business in the EU. Heavy hitters who’ve lent their John Hancock to it include Meta, TikTok, and Microsoft. If Twitter hasn’t “volunteered” to join their brethren come August when the Digital Services Act goes into effect in the EU, they’ll have to pay the piper.
So, if they refuse, what will a ban look like for Twitter and the adult industry?
Remember when you were a teen and there was that filthy record that was illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase? Exactly. All my friends owned a bootleg version of it, and we spun it nonstop on our Walkmans… yes I had a Walkman, I’m dating myself. But let’s put this into perspective, nowadays with the Internet it’s even easier to give the middle finger to government bodies telling you that you can’t consume entertainment, social media, and porn…
The fact is the EU is going to have a hard time banning Twitter, their free citizens won’t put up with being treated like they live in a dictatorship. Meanwhile if it happens, a ban won’t be good for Twitter or the adult industry either. It would most likely reduce traffic to the site, limit reach for advertisers and hurt European creators’ ability to use the platform.
Musk/Twitter and Jean-Noël Barrot/EU remind me of two pimple-faced teenagers who just got their drivers’ licenses and have challenged each other to a game of chicken in their Dad’s jalopies (or in Musk’s case, Tesla).
Both could crash and burn with the adult industry limping along to clean up the mess.
Photo credit: iStock.com/SARINYAPINNGAM
