The European Union's top tech enforcer on Friday warned Google parent Alphabet to protect YouTube users from a surge in propaganda and violent content on the video-sharing platform.

EU industry commissioner Thierry Breton wrote to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.

Telling the latter that a surge of illegal content and disinformation being disseminated in the EU via certain platforms following the terrorist acts carried out by the militant group Hamas against Israel.

Breton noted that YouTube in particular is used by many children and teenagers and warned that Google thus has a special responsibility to protect users from propaganda and violent or harmful images.

"I urge you to proactively report in a prompt, accurate and complete manner to the aspects raised in this letter," Breton wrote.

"As you know, following the opening of a potential investigation and a finding of non-compliance, penalties can be imposed," he warned.

WITH AFP