EU starts investigation into Elon Musk's X for fake news, disinformation, under new Digital Services Act

The European Union (EU) has initiated an investigation into social media company X, for suspected breaches of obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This marks the first probe under the DSA, which came into force in November last year, imposing additional responsibilities on very large online platforms and search engines to address illegal content and public security risks, as reported by Reuters. EU industry chief Thierry Breton previously sent letters to X, Meta, TikTok, and Alphabet following Hamas’ attacks on Israel in October, reminding them of their DSA obligations regarding harmful and illegal content. While platforms highlighted their efforts to combat disinformation, Elon Musk’s X received a formal request for information under the DSA. X, owned by Elon Musk, is cooperating with the regulatory process and expresses its commitment to complying with the DSA. In a statement, X emphasized the importance of a politically unbiased process that adheres to the law. The investigation will focus on countering the dissemination of illegal content in the EU and assessing the effectiveness of measures taken to combat information manipulation, including X’s “Community Notes” system. Introduced earlier this year, this feature allows users to flag false or misleading content through comments, effectively involving users in fact-checking. The European Commission, which deems the Community Notes system not inherently flawed, is examining its implementation for effectiveness. The investigation will entail additional requests for information, interviews, inspections, and a review of X’s transparency measures. The European Commission will also scrutinize the user interface, particularly features like Blue checks linked to subscription products. The preliminary investigation included an analysis of X’s report submitted in September, its transparency report published in November, and responses to a formal information request related to illegal content concerning Hamas’ attacks against Israel. The DSA introduces new regulations on content moderation, user privacy, and transparency, with potential fines for breaches amounting to up to 6 per cent of the company’s global turnover. (With inputs from agencies)