EU Enhances Investigation into Elon Musk's X for Content Moderation Breaches
The European Commission has announced on Friday that it is intensifying its investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform, X, to determine if it has violated EU regulations regarding content moderation. The escalation comes as part of an ongoing inquiry launched in December 2023, which aims to ensure compliance with the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA).
As part of this investigation, the Commission has requested X to submit internal documentation concerning its content recommendation system by February 15, 2024. This includes documentation about the system that suggests content to users and any recent modifications made to it. Henna Virkkunen, the EU's digital chief, emphasized that the steps taken today are necessary to gain insight into the compliance of X's recommender systems with DSA obligations.
The clash between Musk and EU regulators has been ongoing, with various European politicians accusing him of interfering in elections, notably after his live-streamed conversation with the leader of Germany's far-right party, Alternative for Germany. In response to the criticism, Musk has asserted that the allegations represent an attack on democracy and free speech.
In addition to requesting documentation, the European Commission has issued a retention order. This requires X to safeguard internal documents and information regarding any future alterations to its recommendation algorithms from January 17, 2024, to the end of 2025. Furthermore, the Commission seeks access to certain technical interfaces of X, which will enable a thorough evaluation of systemic risks and their potential mitigation under the DSA framework.
These actions reflect the EU's commitment to enforcing strict content moderation standards and addressing systemic risks associated with large digital platforms, particularly amid rising concerns over misinformation and election integrity in the digital age.
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