European Union Investigate Platform X Regarding Alleged Violations In Digital Services Act Legal Framework

EU industrial head Thierry Breton, (photo: x @ThierryBreton ·)

JAKARTA - The European Union is investigating social media company X, formerly known as Twitter, for alleged violations of obligations in its first investigation under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This was revealed in an announcement on Monday, December 18.

The DSA came into effect in November last year and demanded large online platforms and search engines to seek more effort to address illegal content and risks to public security.

Following Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, EU industry chief Thierry Breton sent a letter to X, Meta, TikTok, and Alphabet, reminding them of the obligation under the DSA to address malicious and illegal content.

The platforms responded by highlighting the steps they have taken to stop disinformation on their platforms. However, Musk challenged Breton over disinformation allegations.

X, which is owned by Elon Musk, is part of a large group of tech companies facing increased scrutiny under the DSA. To date, only X has received an official request for information under the DSA.

"X remains committed to complying with the DSA and working closely with the regulatory process," he said in a statement on Monday.

The investigation will focus on tackling the spread of illegal content in the EU, and the effectiveness of the steps taken to counter information manipulation, including the "community record" system, the Commission announced.

Earlier this year, X unveiled the "Community Notes" feature, allowing users to comment on posts to flag incorrect or misleading content, with the effect of empowering users to check facts together rather than through a special team for fact checking.

As part of the steps to increase transparency, the Commission will also review the steps taken by X and alleged misleading user interface designs, such as check marks related to subscription products, known as "Blue checks," the Commission said.

The Commission stated that preliminary investigations that have been carried out include analysis of reports submitted by X in September, a transparency report X published in November, and X's response to an official request for information on illegal content related to Hamas' attack on Israel.

DSA enforces new rules in content moderation, user privacy, and transparency. Any company found to have violated can be fined up to 6% of its global turnover.