The European Union has initiated an investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, to assess its compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA). This marks the first probe under the new law, which became effective for platforms with over 45 million EU-based users in August.
The investigation focuses on whether X has violated the DSA’s regulations concerning the counteraction of illegal content and disinformation. The inquiry follows X’s submission of a risk assessment report, transparency report, and response to an information request related to the dissemination of illegal content amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The European Commission specifically mentions concerns about X’s effectiveness in combatting information manipulation on its platform. The scrutiny extends to X’s “Community Notes” system in the EU, formerly known as Birdwatch, launched in 2021 under Jack Dorsey’s ownership.
The platform’s community notes and its approach to information accuracy have faced increased scrutiny, leading to this comprehensive investigation.
EU Commissioner Thierry Breton highlights suspicions about X’s user interface design, pointing to the controversial Twitter Blue subscription service and its verification system. The DSA, applicable to various content-sharing sites and search engines, emphasizes preventing the dissemination of harmful or inaccurate information.
The investigation will continue to gather evidence, and there is no specified legal deadline for concluding formal proceedings.
Joe Benarroch, X’s head of business operations, asserts the platform’s commitment to complying with the DSA and cooperation with the regulatory process, emphasizing the importance of a politically unbiased and lawful procedure.
The investigation follows earlier accusations by Israel’s state prosecutor’s office cyber division, stating X’s lesser cooperation in removing content flagged as “incitement to terrorism” compared to rivals Meta and TikTok.
