Twitter’s new rules surrounding the encryption of private messages have been called “dangerous and concerning” in a letter penned by an MEP to the European Commission.
GreenLeft politician Kim van Sparrentak expressed concern over a decision by the social media firm to limit encryption to messages sent between accounts subscribed to its Twitter Blue service.
All other messages will remain unencrypted.
Writing to the EC, van Sparrentak said the platform was now limiting “important security features” to premium customers.
“Twitter is making basic safety functions to protect people and their fundamental rights subject to payment,” she said.
“Making fundamental rights and online safety subject to the numbers in people’s bank accounts is a dangerous and concerning development.”
The Dutch politician went on to ask the EC whether the Twitter encryption paywall was in compliance with the incoming Digital Services Act (DSA), which is due this August.
Responding to van Sparrentak, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton agreed that “encryption software should not be weakened or be made vulnerable”.
He refused to comment on whether Twitter’s actions would be in compliance with the DSA or not, as a review of the company’s processes “still needs to be undertaken”.
“Twitter needs to carry out a risk assessment further to Article 34 within four months of being designated [as a very large online platform],” he said.
“At this point, the Commission cannot comment on whether the specific feature raises issues of compliance with the DSA or not.”
Twitter’s new encryption rules mark yet another of US billionaire Elon Musk’s reforms to the social media platform that have drawn the ire of European Union politicians.
Since purchasing the company in 2022, Musk has made numerous changes, including what he said was widening freedom of speech on the site.
This has greatly upset many within the EC, who have threatened to ban the platform if it fails to properly implement EU censorship rules such as those laid out by the DSA.
Brussels bigwigs are not the only ones unhappy with some of Musk’s changes, with the Tesla and SpaceX founder’s decision to rebrand the Twitter bird logo as “X” angering many of the website’s regular users.
This does not seem to have dissuaded Musk, who has been keen to slap the platform’s new logo all over the website, according to observers, even replacing his own profile picture with the emblem.
