The European Commission has launched an official investigation into the activities of social network X (Twitter), owned by businessman Elon Musk. The company is accused of violating EU legislation in the field of disinformation, illegal content and transparency.
Source. This was announced by European Commissioner Thierry Breton.
The investigation was announced a few weeks after X was asked to provide evidence of compliance with European laws aimed at preventing hate speech, racism, and fake news on Internet platforms.
Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), adopted in August this year, the company could be fined 6% of its total revenue or banned from operating in the EU.
Thierry Breton, who is responsible, among other things, for compliance with the DSA, confirmed the launch of the investigation in a post on Twitter.
He noted that the investigation will focus on, among other things, the "deceptive design" of the social network's interface. This refers to the uncontrolled sale of "blue ticks" that were originally supposed to confirm the authenticity of an account.
In July, after a meeting with Breton in California, Musk claimed that he was ready to comply with the law. On October 10, the EU sent an official letter to X with "indications" that the platform was "being used to spread illegal content and disinformation in the EU" after Hamas' attack on Israel.
In response, Linda Iaccarino, X's CEO, wrote to Breton that the company is "actively working to meet the operational needs of this rapidly evolving conflict."
In a statement, the European Commission said that a "preliminary investigation" is underway against X regarding the distribution of "illegal content about Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel."
Background. As reported, X's advertising revenues have almost halved due to Musk's tweets.