The EU’s Higher Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell criticized Twitter owner Elon Musk for his decision to end free access to APIs arguing it would harm researchers’ efforts to study “disinformation.”
Borrell made the comments while giving a speech on how the bloc has responded to Russia’s online disinformation campaigns since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine early last year.
“We have to do more research on the social media platforms. Study how flow [sic], where does it come from, and which are the results,” he said in the speech to the European Union’s diplomatic service (EEAS).
He also said that Twitter’s decision to remove free access to APIs is “a serious step back from early commitments.”
Borrell’s speech emphasized the need to combat foreign disinformation operations by studying information threats. He also referenced a recent report on the bloc’s foreign information manipulation and threats, which found “clear trends in the threats against our information space.”
“Diplomatic accounts and state-controlled channels manipulate perceptions about the European Union; blaming the West for all the consequences of the war in Ukraine and they amplify lies about military-led Western biolabs in Ukraine targeting its neighbors,” said Borrell, adding: “It is something that needs a response.
“We need to anticipate and deter such activities with concrete actions and measures. We need to continue supporting Ukraine… and finally we have to be more ambitious in building resilience to authoritarian regimes that try to create this disinformation and manipulate information.”
“We need more transparency and accountability – not less,” Borrell said in his speech. “I call on Twitter, and on its owner, to ensure that all obligations that they have taken will be honored.”
