The European Union has announced a formal investigation into X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, for failure to counter illicit content and disinformation, a lack of transparency about advertising, and “deceptive” design practices. This comes as the company has scaled back its content moderation policies since Musk’s acquisition of the platform, leading to a rise in incendiary content and causing brands to limit their advertising on the platform.
The EU’s investigation is the most significant regulatory consequence of X’s actions to date and comes after the EU passed a new law called the Digital Services Act, which gives regulators vast new powers to force social media companies to police their platforms for hate speech, misinformation, and other divisive content. This marks the first time the EU is using its new authority under the Digital Services Act.
The European Commission, the executive branch of the 27-nation bloc, has previously indicated its intention to closely examine X’s business practices. In October, regulators initiated a preliminary investigation into the spread of “terrorist and violent content and hate speech” on X during the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Under the Digital Services Act, companies can face fines of up to 6 percent of their global revenue. The investigation into X is ongoing, and updates are expected as the situation develops.
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