The EU has initiated infringement proceedings on X, formerly known as Twitter, due to the possible neglect of its duties to counter deceptive content and manipulation. The European Commissioner Thierry Breton declared that this step was taken due to possible violations of X's transparency rules and its responsibility to take down illegal content and misinformation. The Digital Services Act necessitates that major online platforms like X find ways to lessen the danger of disinformation while being mindful of respect for freedom of expression.
The European Union has begun legal proceedings against social media network X - formerly known as Twitter - for allegedly violating its duties to combat false content and manipulation. This is the first probe under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Commissioner Thierry Breton stated on Monday that the action was in response to suspicions of breaches of X's transparency requirements and its obligations to remove illegal content and disinformation. It also relates to what the EU labels as an "unfair" design of the user interface, including its so-called 'blue checks.'
X - run by Elon Musk - said in a statement posted on social media that it is "fully committed to abiding by the Digital Services Act and is working with the regulatory process." The company further noted, "It is essential that this process is free of political pressure and complies with the law. X is focused on creating a secure and inclusive setting for all users on our network, while protecting freedom of expression, and we will continue to work tirelessly towards this end."
The European Commission declared that it had launched the proceedings under the DSA "based on the preliminary investigation conducted so far, including on the basis of an analysis of the risk assessment report submitted by X in September, X's Transparency report published on 3 November, and X's responses to a formal request for information, which, among others, related to the distribution of unlawful content during Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israel."
Under the DSA, which was only adopted in November 2022, major online platforms including X must take steps to reduce the risk of misinformation and establish strong protocols to remove hate speech, while also taking into account protection of expression. Businesses found responsible for violations face fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenues.
The formal infringement proceedings will assess X's conformity with its responsibilities to prevent the dissemination of unlawful content in the EU, the efficiency of the social media platform's measures to combat information manipulation and its measures to increase transparency.
The investigation will also address an alleged "unfair design" of the X user interface, paying particular attention to the platform's so-called blue checks. X says the blue ticks denote validated accounts which subscribe to the X Premium service and fulfill certain criteria, such as displaying a display name and profile image, being active, and being safe and not deceptive.
"For an account to qualify for a blue tick, it must have no evidence of participating in platform manipulation and spam," X states.
After initiating the proceedings, the European Commission stated that it would go on with gathering evidence. It is worth noting that the Digital Services Act does not set any legal timeframe for finishing formal proceedings.
In the middle of October, Breton cautioned social media networks X, Meta and TikTok to stay aware of disinformation and hostile posts concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict.
"I caution you that following the launch of a potential investigation and the finding of non-compliance, penalties can be applied," Breton said then.
In a different latest event, X was the object of a complaint from leading privacy advocate Max Schrems, who accused the social media network of breaking EU regulations by unlawfully utilizing people's political viewpoints and religious beliefs to direct ads at them.
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