EU races to conclude investigation into X’s content moderation efforts

Jan 08, 2025 09:11 PM - 1 week ago 12936

The European Union is reportedly adjacent to deciding whether X’s attempts to combat forbidden aliases harmful contented are compliant pinch the bloc’s integer work rulebook. A probe into X’s consequence guidance and contented moderation will beryllium concluded “as early arsenic legally possible,” according to a missive to EU lawmakers seen by Bloomberg. It comes a time aft Meta announced sweeping moderation changes connected its ain platforms inspired by X.

In the letter, the EU’s justness main Michael McGrath and tech argumentation leader Henna Virkkunen vowed to “energetically” push the investigation forward. Bloomberg reports that the missive was prompted by a title from center-right German lawmakers complete concerns regarding Elon Musk’s promotion of Germany’s far-right statement leader connected X.

The probe was launched nether the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA) successful December 2023, pinch a attraction connected “the dissemination of forbidden contented successful the discourse of Hamas’ violent attacks against Israel,” and really effective X’s Community Notes strategy is astatine tackling accusation manipulation. Additionally, the aforesaid investigation yielded preliminary findings that recovered X to beryllium in breach of DSA regarding advertizing transparency, acheronian patterns, and its “blue check” personification verification system. Platforms deemed to person breached the DSA consequence fines of up to six percent of their world yearly revenue.

Since purchasing X (previously known arsenic Twitter) successful 2022, Elon Musk has transformed its verification system into a subscription work and cut backmost its spot and information team to attraction connected community-driven moderation. The EU criticized X complete rising levels of disinformation connected the platform, thing that Musk himself actively engaged successful promoting, pursuing these changes. More recently, Musk has landed himself a position connected President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration, which has issued threats complete perceived biases successful moderation.

US tech giants are already heeding to Republicans’ complaints regarding online reside rules. Yesterday, Meta announced it was inspired by X to scrap its third-party fact-checkers successful favour of implementing its ain Community Notes program, alongside removing restrictions astir topics for illustration migration and gender identity. While these changes will initially beryllium rolled retired successful the US, some Meta and X run connected a world shape — and the eyes of EU regulators are ever watchful.