The European Fee mentioned it had opened formal proceedings to analyze X — previously Twitter — over content material associated to the terrorist group Hamas’ assaults towards Israel.
In a Dec. 18 discover, the fee mentioned it deliberate to evaluate whether or not X violated the Digital Companies Act for its response to misinformation and unlawful content material on the platform. In keeping with the federal government physique, X was underneath investigation for the effectiveness of its Neighborhood Notes — feedback added to particular tweets geared toward offering context — in addition to insurance policies “mitigating dangers to civic discourse and electoral processes.”
“The opening of formal proceedings empowers the Fee to take additional enforcement steps, corresponding to interim measures, and non-compliance selections,” mentioned the discover. “The Fee can also be empowered to simply accept any dedication made by X to treatment on the issues topic to the continuing.”
Now we have opened formal proceedings to evaluate whether or not X might have breached the #DSA in areas linked to:
danger administration
content material moderation
darkish patterns
promoting transparency
information entry for researchersExtra data on subsequent steps: https://t.co/VHJjIsVftY pic.twitter.com/oygKah5GIq
— European Fee (@EU_Commission) December 18, 2023
The proceedings will embody a glance into X’s blue test mark system, which the fee described as a “suspected misleading design” on the platform. In keeping with the European Fee, there have been additionally “suspected shortcomings” in X’s efforts to extend the transparency of the platform’s publicly out there information.
X proprietor Elon Musk applied controversial insurance policies on the social media large following his buy of Twitter in 2022, receiving criticism from many long-time customers and tech trade specialists. The then-CEO was accountable for chopping Twitter’s belief and security staff, lowering the variety of content material moderators, and changing the platform’s signature blue test verification system.
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Following the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas on Israel, Musk used his private account to advertise antisemitic content material by replying to a tweet selling far-right conspiracy theories. The watchdog group Media Issues launched a report in November exhibiting that commercials on X for big companies had been capable of be featured alongside pro-Nazi content material underneath sure search circumstances.
Throughout a Nov. 29 interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin, Musk instructed advertisers to “go f— your self” following many leaving the platform, saying the exodus was “gonna kill the corporate.” The social media web site claimed it was “the platform totally free speech” after submitting a lawsuit towards Media Issues, alleging the group’s report didn’t replicate what the everyday X consumer sees.
On the time of publication, Musk had not publicly commented on the European Fee investigation. The previous Twitter CEO is thought within the crypto house for pushing Dogecoin (DOGE) and different tokens, in addition to his Bitcoin (BTC) purchases whereas heading Tesla and SpaceX.
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