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Politics Sep 26, 2023 4:17 PM EDT LONDON (AP) — A top European Union official said Tuesday that the social network X, formerly known as Twitter, is the biggest source of fake news and urged owner Elon Musk to comply with the bloc’s laws aimed at combating disinformation. Ahead of upcoming elections, Google, TikTok, Microsoft and Meta also have more to do to tackle disinformation, much of it coming from Russia, which is using social media to wage a “war of ideas” against democracy, European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said. Moscow’s disinformation operation “is a multimillion-euro weapon of mass manipulation aimed both internally at the Russians as well as at Europeans and the rest of the world,” she said at a press briefing in Brussels. With elections scheduled in Slovakia and Poland in the coming weeks and a bloc-wide vote next year, big online platforms must address the risk of online meddling, she said. The Kremlin and other malicious actors “will try to use the design features of the platforms to manipulate,” Jourova said. READ MORE: Twitter quietly removes policy against deadnaming transgender people She was providing an update on the 27-nation EU’s 2022 Code of Practice on Disinformation. Google, TikTok, Microsoft and Facebook and Instagram

Image source, Getty ImagesBy Chris VallanceTechnology reporter, BBC NewsX, formerly Twitter, has the biggest proportion of disinformation of six big social networks, a European Commission study has suggested. It examined over 6,000 unique social media posts across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and YouTube.The study analysed content in three countries deemed particularly at risk to disinformation - Spain, Poland and Slovakia.The BBC has approached X for comment."My message for is: you have to comply with the hard law. We'll be watching what you're doing," the EU's Values and Transparency Commissioner Vera Jourova warnedThe disinformation study which prompted Ms Jourova's comments covered Spain, Poland and Slovakia, countries at risk of being targeted by disinformation due to elections or proximity to the war in Ukraine.The platform with the largest "ratio of discoverability" of disinformation - meaning the proportion of sensitive content made up of disinformation - was Twitter. YouTube had the lowest, the study suggested.Disinformation CodeThe study was carried out by TrustLab, a disinformation monitoring start-up, as part of work to support the EU's code of practice on disinformation.X, then called Twitter, along with many other social networks, signed up to the voluntary code in 2018.But the company withdrew from the

Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant isn't exactly a stranger to online battles.Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant is a fairly active player on social media.That's been part of his allure, as fans are given the opportunity to connect with Durant and see his thoughts/views closer to his true self. On the counter side of that, it also gives way for Durant to engage with people he probably shouldn't waste time on.That was the case over the weekend when EuroLeague player Kyle Hines said the NBA was "checkers" compared to the "chess" played overseas. That's when a Twitter/X user B-Moe said Joel Embiid couldn't average 30 in the EuroLeague:The following exchange then took place:B-Moe: "NBA easy….. euro league hard. Everybody say the same. Joel Embiid can’t avg 30 in the euro league!"Durant: "F--- outta here lmao. Y’all are insane."B: "Yall don’t play no damn defense. The game is constructed to score and that’s it… we watch this game daily."Durant: "Bro nobody gonna take u serious talking like this man, u trying too hard to be different."B: "Man stop. Just cuz the money/fame etc better, don’t mean the game more competitive & tougher to play. You know why they ain’t stay. We know what

A senior surgeon at the region's biggest hospital has received fierce criticism after becoming embroiled in a social media row with one of his colleagues.  Omar Al Kadhi, a consultant urological surgeon at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, has found himself at the centre of a spat on the social media platform X - formally known as twitter. The controversy came after Mr Al Kadhi responded to critical remarks made by a fellow NNUH urology worker - who only identified themselves as Ali - surrounding the roles of physician assistants. Mr Al Kadhi questioned the approach of his colleague in raising their concerns publicly via social media, rather than private channels. He wrote: "Is this the correct way of raising concerns? We are all highly skilled professionals and I'd like to think we are better than this. Please be kind and respectful and remember the GMC  guidance." But he has since faced a wave of criticism from fellow medics. It comes at a time of heightened concern over approaches to whistleblowers across the NHS following the murder convictions of nurse Lucy Letby at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Dr Ravi Jayaram. Picture: ITV News/PA Media (Image:

The Minnesota Vikings have found a way to lose another fumble with this one being the seventh lost on the season. They forced a three and out of the Los Angeles Chargers on the first drive of the day.When they got the ball, the running game was beginning to be established with Alexander Mattison earning the Vikings’ first running play for double-digit yardage.However, the fumble is what everyone is talking about, because of course the are.From memes to talking through the pain and everything in between, here are the best reactions from a very frustrated Vikings fanbase.The memes were flowingOh, hey, another lost fumble for the Vikings.The most effective way to defend the Vikings is, apparently, just wait until they screw up.— Minnesota Vikings Football at The Daily Norseman (@DailyNorseman) September 24, 2023All-time records are beiung discussed56 by the 1978 San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings entered the game on pace for 51 so they'll really have to up their fumble game to catch up https://t.co/s47AC4XqbY— Arif Hasan, but NFL 🏈 (@ArifHasanNFL) September 24, 2023Lauging through the painlol the vikings already have a fumble lost— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) September 24, 2023Too hard to believeWow. You can't even make it up. Vikings

The critics and viewers have spoken: Kim Kardashian is the reason to watch American Horror Story: Delicate.Five months after the reality mogul announced that she would be joining the award-winning horror anthology, the Skims founder made her debut on the premiere of the series' 12th season. In the season based on Danielle Valentine's recent novel Delicate Condition, Kardashian plays powerhouse publicist Siobhan Corbyn, a role written with her in mind by the anthology's new showrunner Halley Feiffer. In the first episode, which aired last Wednesday, both the star's real-life influence on her character and her solid acting skills were on display.The similarities between Siobhan and Kardashian's real life are clear from the moment the publicist first appears on screen, wearing a sleek corset-inspired blazer in a high-rise conference room. As the right-hand of actress Anna Victoria Alcott (Emma Roberts), Siobhan is confident and polished, delivering both advice and insults in the same reserved-yet-warm affect. She's unfazed even as the creep factor increases throughout the episode, to the point where Anna receives cryptic threats on the night of her Watch What Happens Live appearance (complete with an Andy Cohen cameo). Siobhan's also Anna's best friend, with the two previously meeting in

The Oregon football team is dominating Colorado Saturday in part because of Bo Nix. Not only is Bo Nix among the best quarterbacks in college football, but he's the most experienced signal caller in the sport. The Oregon-Colorado game marks Nix's 51st career start under center, a fact that has sparked plenty of jokes on social media.Nix was a three-year starter at Auburn before transferring to the Oregon football program ahead of the 2022 season. With the ABC broadcast for the Oregon-Colorado game discussing how long Nix has been playing college football, Twitter users had some fun with the quarterback's age and experience. crazy that bo nix took over for cam newton at Auburn and is still in college — Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) September 23, 2023 Bo Nix played against Justin Herbert in college & Herbert has been in the NFL for 4 years. — Vontel (@DVontelJ) September 23, 2023 Bo Nix had a whole failed career in the SEC and now being labeled a Heisman candidate at Oregon. 😂😂😂 — QP-Ski (@APEtimus_Prime) September 23, 2023 Bo nix really been in college before the pandemic happened pic.twitter.com/3pCErOCRS1 — • (@WokeeJa) September 23, 2023 Bo Nix was a starting QB in

The Kentucky Wildcats get revenge on the Vanderbilt Commodores with a scoring frenzy in Nashville, 45-28. Kentucky started the game with a quick 21-0 lead off JuTahn McClain's touchdown run, followed by a pick-six from Max Hairston and a Ray Davis touchdown. Then it seemed that the game fell apart after that point, with the offense stalling on multiple drives, allowing Vanderbilt to creep back within a couple of scores. After the disaster that was the second quarter, Kentucky settled down mid-way through the third, after a few more mistakes, and eventually got back to what they looked like in the first quarter. Devin Leary threw for 205 yards and one touchdown, but had a couple of errant throws that led to interceptions. The receiving corps for the Wildcats also seemed to struggle at the beginning of the game, with more drops from Jordan Dingle and Dane Key, but Key would redeem himself with an insane touchdown catch in the back corner of the end zone in the fourth quarter. On to Florida. The MVP is a no-brainer for this one - Max Hairston, who had two pick-sixes, which is a first for the Kentucky Football program. He also had

About a year ago, an especially right-wing panel of the far-right United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that Texas’s state government may effectively seize control of content moderation on social media websites such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. The Fifth Circuit’s opinion in NetChoice v. Paxton upheld an unconstitutional law that requires social media companies to publish content produced by their users that they do not wish to publish, but that the government of Texas insists that they must publish. That potentially includes content by Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen, and other individuals calling for the outright extermination of minority groups. Meanwhile, earlier this month the same Fifth Circuit handed down a decision that effectively prohibits the Biden administration from asking social media companies to pull down or otherwise moderate content. According to the Justice Department, the federal government often asks these platforms to remove content that seeks to recruit terrorists, that was produced by America’s foreign adversaries, or that spreads disinformation that could harm public health. Again, the Fifth Circuit’s more recent decision, which is known as Murthy v. Missouri, would devastate a Democratic administration’s ability to ask media companies to voluntarily remove content. Meanwhile, the

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things musicGet our Now Hear This email for freeMatty Healy has deactivated his X/Twitter account after making an ableist joke in connection to the indie supergroup, Boygenius.On Thursday (21 September), the 1975 frontman, 34, tweeted from his burner account under the username @Mattyfrnglomg.“I told Lucy Dacus that ‘Boygenius’ had inspired me and George to start a new band called ‘Girlr*****’. I don’t really hear from her that often,” wrote Healy, who is friends and a frequent collaborator with Dacus’s Boygenius bandmate Phoebe Bridgers.Responding to the British singer-songwriter’s message, the 28-year-old Dacus said: “You don’t hear from me at all.”“Yeah this never goes well does it,” Healy wrote before deactivating his account.The Independent has contacted Healy’s representative for comment. Matt Healy and Lucy Dacus X/Twitter exchange (Twitter )Last month, The 1975 were sued for £2m by the organisers of a Malaysian music festival for allegedly breaking the terms of their contract.In July, the British band were performing at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur when their set was cut short after Healy kissed bassist Ross MacDonald onstage while criticising the country’s strict