EU Initiates Action Against Elon Musk's X for Disinformation
The EU has initiated formal proceedings against Elon Musk's social media company X (formerly Twitter) for potential violations of its rules on illegal content, disinformation, and transparency.
EU Digital Commissioner Thierry Breton detailed the accusations, which X is cooperating with and insists on a fair legal process devoid of political bias.
These actions represent the first enforcement under EU's stringent Digital Services Act (DSA), which imposes significant duties on large tech companies to shield users from harmful content and imposes hefty penalties for non-compliance.
The Commission's spokesman, Johannes Bahrke, clarified that the investigation will assess X's practices without assuming the investigation's outcome. The EU's examination, sparked in part by concerns over X's ability to manage extreme content post-Musk's acquisition, will also review its Community Notes feature, meant to combat false information.
Last October, following the Hamas attacks on Israel, the EU scrutinized X for potential exposure to terrorist, violent, and hate speech, with the company claiming to have deleted numerous related accounts.
Despite X's efforts, the EU suggests its problems with disinformation have worsened under Musk's leadership, citing layoffs of many content moderators. This issue has similarly sparked debates and advertising boycotts in the US, raising questions about X's financial stability.