YouTube is the most recent giant platform to face EU scrutiny relating to the warfare in Israel

European Commissioner Thierry Breton despatched a letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai reminding him of the corporate’s obligations below the EU’s Digital Providers Act (DSA) as a big on-line platform to maintain unlawful content material and disinformation from being shared on YouTube surrounding Israel’s warfare with Hamas.

“Following the terrorist assaults carried out by Hamas in opposition to Israel, we’re seeing a surge of unlawful content material and disinformation being disseminated within the EU by way of sure platforms,” Breton wrote. He added that YouTube has an obligation to guard kids and youths within the EU from violent content material on the platform, should promptly take motion in response to notices from the EU, and have “proportionate and efficient mitigation measures in place” to sort out dangers from disinformation.

In a press release to The Verge, YouTube spokesperson Ivy Choi stated, “following the devastating assaults in Israel and the escalated battle now underway in Israel and Gaza, we’ve got eliminated tens of 1000’s of dangerous movies and terminated a whole bunch of channels. On the similar time, our programs proceed to attach individuals with high-quality information and data. Our groups are working across the clock to watch for dangerous footage and stay vigilant to take motion shortly if wanted on all sorts of content material, together with Shorts and livestreams.”

In his letter, Breton additionally mentioned “a second space of urgent concern:” disinformation in elections. “I invite you to tell my workforce on the main points of the measures you will have taken to mitigate any deepfakes, additionally within the gentle of upcoming elections in Poland, The Netherlands, Lithuania, Belgium, Croatia, Romania and Austria, and the European Parliament elections,” Breton stated.

Breton requested that YouTube proactively report related data to the EU, however famous that his workforce might be sending requests on “a lot of points to determine DSA compliance.”