Dec. 18 (UPI) — The European Commission launched an investigation into the social media platform X on Monday as regulators accuse the company of not being transparent enough while failing to counter illicit content and disinformation in the bloc.
The case targeting X, formerly known as Twitter, comes as the newly enacted Digital Services Act sought to crack down on rampant misinformation in the 27-member bloc, especially amid the Israel-Hamas war.
On Monday, EU regulatory commissioner Thierry Breton announced the infringement proceedings for suspected breach of obligations to counter illegal content and disinformation, suspected breach of transparency obligations and suspected deceptive design of user interface.
The probe will look into whether X violated its obligations to prevent the spread of harmful content throughout the EU as watchdogs continue to uncover evidence of misinformation on the site about the Israel-Hamas war despite growing demands from the EU for bolder preventive measures.
It will also assess the company’s risk management procedures and content moderation tools, while regulators will be on the lookout for any practices that serve to influence the behavior patterns of social media users.
The investigation will also focus on the effectiveness of the X’s efforts to combat false claims on the site, as well as the “deceptive design” of the user interface, especially concerning the platform’s “blue check” feature, which indicates a verified user account.
Under Musk’s system, X users can pay $8 a month to display a blue checkmark on their profiles, which elevates their visibility on the site, while adding a layer of credibility with a vast audience.
Two months ago, however, an analysis by a U.S. content moderation watchdog NewsGuard revealed that verified accounts on the social media platform were responsible for spreading the bulk of misinformation on the site about the Israel-Hamas war.
On Oct. 13, the European Commission sought more information from X as part of an investigation into whether the platform was taking genuine steps to remove falsehoods.
In October, Breton warned X owner Elon Musk and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg that they would face massive fines unless they complied with the law.
In response, X CEO Linda Yaccarino said the company was committed to fully cooperating with the laws of the European Union, and had already removed hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts from the platform.
During the first week of the Middle East conflict, Yaccarino said X had taken steps to redistribute resources and refocus internal teams, while the company was also working to address “operational needs” to limit the spread of incendiary content on the platform.
X also responded by publishing a risk assessment as well as a transparency report in November while also promptly responding to ongoing concerns from EU regulators.
The company has also outlined a number of standing policies that demonstrate the its stance against violent and hateful commentary as well as graphic imagery and adult content.
