The European Union (EU) has formally announced suspicions against Elon Musk’s company X, previously known as Twitter, for breaching its rules in areas including countering illegal content and disinformation. The Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU’s new set of rules for major tech companies, places extra obligations on these firms to protect users against extreme content, with fines and suspensions as possible penalties for failure to comply. This announcement marks the first formal proceedings launched under the DSA.
- EU digital commissioner Thierry Breton accused X of possible breaches related to transparency in addition to countering illegal content and disinformation.
- This investigation follows a previous probe by the EU into X due to concerns over the possible spread of terrorist, violent content, and hate speech on the platform.
- Concerns about the content appearing on X have intensified since Elon Musk’s purchase of the platform, primarily due to the layoffs of many moderators.
- X’s current moderation system, the Community Notes system, allows contributors to comment on the accuracy of posts. The EU’s investigation will include an evaluation of the effectiveness of this system.
X has stated that it is cooperating with the regulatory process and insisted that it is essential for the process to remain free of political influence and follow the law. The company further stated its commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all users on the platform while protecting freedom of expression.
Despite X’s efforts, the content on the platform has caused controversy, with an advertising boycott in the US over extremist material and questions about its financial future. The European Commission previously warned that X had the most significant disinformation problem of any major platform. The outcome of the EU’s investigation will determine any further actions against X.