A European regulatory authority announced that it had officially reached out to X owned by Elon Musk, to request information pertaining to the dissemination of illegal content and disinformation during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Thierry Breton, who serves as the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, stated on X that the European Union’s executive body, the European Commission, is conducting an inquiry into whether X is in compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Breton emphasized that the DSA’s purpose is to safeguard both freedom of expression and the integrity of democracies, even during times of crisis. This legislation came into effect in late August and mandates that platforms with over 45 million monthly active users in the European Union proactively scan for and remove illegal content while outlining their methodologies. Non-compliance with the DSA can lead to fines amounting to 6% of a company’s annual revenue.
Breton addressed a letter to X’s owner, Elon Musk, expressing concerns about disinformation and the presence of “violent and terrorist” content on the platform. He urged Musk to respond within 24 hours. Breton had similarly communicated with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding disinformation on Facebook.
In a statement regarding the formal request sent to X, the European Commission disclosed that it is evaluating the company’s adherence to the DSA, with a specific focus on its policies and practices concerning illegal content notifications, complaint handling, risk assessment, and measures to mitigate the identified risks.
X is required to furnish pertinent information regarding its “crisis response protocol” to the European Commission by October 18, along with other related data by October 31. The commission will then consider the next steps.
The European Union’s executive body noted that, following its classification as a Very Large Online Platform, X must adhere to the full spectrum of provisions outlined in the DSA since late August 2023. These provisions encompass the evaluation and mitigation of risks related to the dissemination of illegal content, disinformation, gender-based violence, and any adverse effects on fundamental rights, children’s rights, public security, and mental well-being.
X chose not to comment on the formal request for information.
Earlier on the same day, X’s CEO Linda Yaccarino outlined the company’s response to Breton’s warning letter. In light of the recent terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel, X had redirected resources and refocused internal teams to address the evolving situation promptly. The company mentioned in a separate post that they had taken measures to remove or label thousands of pieces of content and had provided community notes on numerous posts following the terrorist attack on Israel.
X also noted its continued responsiveness to law enforcement requests from around the world, including EU member states. At the time of receiving the letter from Breton, the company had not received any notices from Europol regarding illegal content on the platform.
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