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Europe Decoded

Police in India charge man who appealed for oxygen amid COVID crisis

Police in the state of Uttar Pradesh said the user had been spreading false rumours and generating "fear" online.

Sweden

Sweden's ex-PM angers Norway and Denmark with Nazi resistance tweet

"The defence forces of Sweden in 1940 weren’t stellar, but still stronger than Norway and in particular than Denmark," Carl Bildt said. "Had [Adolf] Hitler decided to invade Sweden it would have been a fight."

Russia

Russian extends Twitter slowdown until May 15 over content dispute

Russia extends the slowdown of Twitter until May 15 in crackdown on social media dissent.

USA

Big Tech CEOs face questions in U.S. Congress over misinformation

Facebook, Twitter, and Google were questioned by lawmakers on their efforts to combat misinformation following the storming of the Capitol building.

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France

Twitter under fire in France after suspending account of harassed teen

Twitter admitted an "error" after it suspended Mila's account on Sunday. The teenager faces constant harassment since she posted an anti-Islam video last year.

Europe Decoded

Viral photo of empty Geneva hospital is 'misinformation'

A viral photo on Twitter of an empty hospital corridor in Geneva is "misinformation", Swiss authorities have said.

Climate

‘Tired, tacky, dangerous’: British Gas ads criticised for greenwashing

The UK's biggest energy supplier is accused of having a "worryingly simplistic" understanding of green issues.

Russia

Russia 'slows' Twitter over failure to remove banned content

Russia's media watchdog accuses the social network of failing to remove content related to drug use, suicide and child pornography. Twitter is also used widely by supporters of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

USA

Twitter cracks down on COVID vaccine misinformation with strike system

Accounts with two strikes against them will be locked for 12 hours. Five strikes will get a user permanently banned from Twitter.

Europe Decoded

Twitter 'maliciously violating' Russia's content laws, says watchdog

Russia's communications regulator says Twitter has failed to remove more than 2,800 illegal pieces of content since 2017.

Green News

Conspiracy theorists are setting snow on fire ‘to prove it’s not real’

As massive snowstorms devastate parts of the US, some social media users are trying to claim the weather is a hoax.

Turkey

Turkey probes Dutch MP Geert Wilders over 'insulting' Erdogan tweets

Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into remarks by Dutch far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders, who called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a "terrorist".

Europe Decoded

Weetabix and beans? How one ghastly breakfast combination went viral

The cerial brand shared a food combination on Twitter, causing an enormous backlash from companies, embassies, countries and many more.

France

Marine Le Pen faces court for tweeting images of Islamic State crimes

Le Pen has described the trial as a political witch hunt that undermines "freedom of expression", as she faces a potential prison sentence for the tweets.

Europe Decoded

Twitter removes 'hateful' LGBT comments by Turkey's Interior Minister

Twitter said the post violated rules about hateful conduct but decided to keep it on the platform for public interest.

United Kingdom

'Grassroots anti-myth' website aims to bust COVID misinformation

"People need to know what these people in the public eye have been saying. And they need to know that these people in the public eye have been really irresponsible ... I hope that the outcome will be more understanding of the reality of COVID," co-founder Sam Bowman told Euronews.

USA

Twitter's 'Birdwatch' project to allow users to flag misinformation

The company said Birdwatch will not replace other labels and fact checks Twitter currently uses — primarily for election and COVID-19-related misinformation and misleading posts.

Europe Decoded

Turkey bans advertising on Twitter, Pinterest under social media law

NGOs have warned that social networks risk "becoming instruments of state censorship" in Turkey under the legislation.

Living

Turning off your camera in video calls could help cut carbon emissions

Did you know? Streaming videos adds to the carbon, water and land footprints of your internet usage.

Germany

Donald Trump's Twitter ban is 'problematic,' says Angela Merkel

Merkel's spokesman said social media platforms "bear great responsibility" for stopping disinformation and incitement of violence but that freedom of opinion was also of "elementary significance".