The European Union has opened a formal investigation of Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that is focused on the spread of illegal content.
In a Monday announcement, the E.U. said it is looking into possible violations of the Digital Services Act, a set of rules meant to keep consumers safe online. E.U. executive vice president Margrethe Vestager said large online platforms like X pose a higher risk to society, and therefore must abide by more specific standards.
“The higher the risk large platforms pose to our society, the more specific the requirements of the Digital Services Act are. We take any breach of our rules very seriously,” Vestager said in a statement.
News of the investigation comes as the platform faces increasing scrutiny over the spread of misinformation related to the conflict in Gaza. The Anti-Defamation League has reported that instances of antisemitic content have surged more than 900 percent since the Oct. 7 attack. Musk also has faced criticism for elevating antisemitic theories on the platform.
It is the first formal proceeding against a large social media platform under the Digital Services Act, which came into force in November 2022. Under its rules, X could face fines of as much as 6 percent of its global revenue.
The investigation comes just weeks after European Commissioner Thierry Breton announced that the E.U. had issued the company a request for information on its handling of hate speech, violence and terrorist content. Breton also sent a warning letter to Musk directly, pressing him on whether the platform was being used to disseminate disinformation related to the Hamas attacks.
“The #DSA is here to protect both freedom of expression & our democracies ― including in times of crisis,” Breton wrote on X in mid-October.
X chief executive Linda Yaccarino has said the company had removed or labeled tens of thousands of posts, while applying crowdsourced fact checks through a system called Community Notes. She also said the company assembled a group of leaders to handle crisis response to the war.
The next steps in the investigation will include a series of information requests that could include interviews or inspections. The law does not set any formal deadline for bringing proceedings to an end, according to the Monday announcement.
In response to the E.U. announcement, X’s safety division said the company is committed to complying with the Digital Services Act and is cooperating with the regulatory process.
“It is important that this process remains free of political influence and follows the law,” the company said. “X is focused on creating a safe and inclusive environment for all users on our platform, while protecting freedom of expression, and we will continue to work tirelessly towards this goal.”
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December 18, 2023 at 10:56PM
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