EU Investigates Elon Musk’s X for Spreading Illegal Content
The relationship between Elon Musk and the European Union additional deteriorated Monday, with the bloc launching a proper investigation into the best way X has been run for the reason that billionaire took over final yr.
Senior officers from the European Commission mentioned they had been involved a few vary of recent options which have been added to X below Musk, in addition to the best way violent content material associated to the Hamas assault on Israel was allowed to unfold with out persistently being labelled with a graphic content material warning.
EU officers additionally mentioned they’d be investigating if customers on the platform are being misled in regards to the trustworthiness of people that pay for blue ticks—a function that was beforehand reserved for verified customers comparable to celebrities, public figures, or journalists. Since Musk’s takeover, the platform has allotted blue ticks to paying subscribers, a function that researchers say have been leveraged to unfold scams and disinformation.
Another focus for the investigation is whether or not Community Notes —X’s crowd-sourced truth examine program—can work in languages aside from English or intervene quick sufficient throughout elections.
Other considerations raised by the EU included the best way customers can notify X once they have seen unlawful content material and whether or not the platform is simply too targeted on the English language in its content material moderation operations. X has greater than 2,000 English talking moderators, in comparison with one Dutch-speaking moderator, and one Polish, in response to a tally the corporate launched final month.
With the investigation, X turns into the primary main platform to face a proper investigation for violating guidelines included within the European Union’s new Digital Services Act, which has the ability to inform tech corporations to vary the best way they function or advantageous them as much as six % of their international income. “Today’s opening of formal proceedings against X makes it clear that, with the DSA, the time of big online platforms behaving like they are “too big to care” has come to an finish,” mentioned Thierry Breton, the EU’s inner markets commissioner. An in-depth investigation will now happen.
“X remains committed to complying with the Digital Services Act,” firm spokesperson Joe Benarroch advised WIRED, including the platform is cooperating with regulators. “It is important that this process remains free of political influence and follows the law.”
The investigation is the start of a course of the place officers will perform interviews and collect extra proof. “We take any breach of our rules very seriously. And the evidence we currently have is enough to formally open a proceeding against X,” mentioned Margrethe Vestager, government vice-president for digital affairs in Europe.
The announcement follows an preliminary EU investigation that was opened towards X in October, additionally citing concern that graphic unlawful content material and disinformation linked to Hamas’ assault on Israel was in a position to unfold extensively. Back then, Musk clashed publicly with Breton. In a sequence of posts on X, Musk accused Breton of finishing up backroom dealing, prompting Breton to make use of his account to advertise X competitor BlueSky.
There is not any deadline for when the EU investigation has to conclude.
