Ripple CTO Supports Elon Musk on This Controversial Issue

David Schwartz, the CTO of Ripple Labs, slams the European Commission over its ongoing investigation of Israel-Hamas war content on the X platform.

Ripple Labs’ CTO David Schwartz has reacted to the European Commission’s ongoing investigation of Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) over the circulation of disinformation of the Israel-Hamas armed conflict.

EU Launches Investigation Into Israel-Hamas Conflict on X

For context, on Oct. 10, the European Commission said in a statement issued by Thierry Breton, the bloc’s self-proclaimed enforcer, that X is used to spread illegal content and disinformation about the war.

The commission stressed that the Digital Services Act (DSA), a law that came into effect in August, is clear on the obligations concerning content moderation.

Under the recently enacted act, social media platforms that fail to curb illegal content are either banned from operating in the EU or fined up to 6% of their revenue.

To curtail the spread of illegal content regarding the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, the commission urged Musk to be transparent about the content permitted on X. It added that the billionaire must be diligent and timely in removing illegal content when warranted.

Ripple CTO Reacts

Notably, the development did not sit well with Ripple’s CTO, who took to the social media platform to react. Schwartz pointed out that the US is fortunate to have the “First Amendment” prevent such a development from happening in the country.

According to Schwartz, the European Union wants the X owner to figure out “problematic disinformation” all by himself and silence it.

Schwartz does not believe that the bloc “polices disinformation” on any other platform other than X.

“If you think they equally police disinformation on any side, I have a bridge to sell you,” he noted.

We are very fortunate that the First Amendment prevents this nonsense in the US. The EU wants Elon to figure out what they would consider problemmatic disinformation and silence it. If you think they equally police disinformation on any side, I have a bridge to sell you. https://t.co/IjRUlR8emE

— David "JoelKatz" Schwartz (@JoelKatz) October 18, 2023

Musk Reportedly Considers Moving X Out of EU 

In the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict, various social media platforms, including X, have been filled with misinformation about the war. Bad actors have shared content from other conflicts while claiming the footage is from the Israel-Hamas war.

However, Linda Yaccarino, X’s chief executive, claimed the social network has been tackling the spread of this disinformation by removing over 100 Hamas-linked accounts and related videos.

Notably, Business Insider reported today that Musk is considering taking the social media platform out of the EU over the region’s internet platform regulations. 

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Business Insider noted that the billionaire is considering removing the app’s availability in the EU or blocking users from the region.

Meanwhile, the war between Hamas and Israel has continued to linger since Oct. 7. According to the UN, the war has claimed the lives of over 3,000 Palestinians and over 1,300 Israelis. Furthermore, the United Nations reported that it has also lost at least 14 UN employees to the war.