Elon Musk’s X under European investigation for disinformation

Dec 18, 2023

Lauren Taylor Reporter/Producer

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter/Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

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X is under investigation over disinformation. The European Union announced Monday, Dec. 18, that it is beginning the first probe opened under Europe’s new Digital Services Act (DSA).

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The EU is looking into accusations that Elon Musk’s platform violated new regulations implemented in August. The regulations aimed to crack down on the spread of disinformation across social media.

The probe could last several months as the European Commission assesses “whether X may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to risk management, content moderation, dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers.”

The investigation comes two months after EU officials initially asked X to provide information about “illegal content,” particularly violent content related to the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.

Regulators are gathering information to decide whether X attempted to counter disinformation regarding the Israel-Hamas war via its Community Notes system.

If the investigation reveals that X engaged in unlawful practices, such as not fighting disinformation, Musk’s platform could be fined up to 6% of its global annual revenue. Based on 2022 figures, X brought in $4.4 billion dollars, which could equate to $282 million in fines.

Musk has not personally commented on the probe, however, X’s Safety page made a post reiterating the company’s commitment to compliance with the law.

“X remains committed to complying with the Digital Services Act and is cooperating with the regulatory process,” the post said. “It is important that this process remains free of political influence and follows the law. X is focused on creating a safe and inclusive environment for all users on our platform, while protecting freedom of expression, and we will continue to work tirelessly towards this goal.”

X remains committed to complying with the Digital Services Act and is cooperating with the regulatory process. It is important that this process remains free of political influence and follows the law. X is focused on creating a safe and inclusive environment for all users on our…
— Safety (@Safety) December 18, 2023

Other social media companies, such as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, along with Snapchat and TikTok, have also received requests for information under the DSA. However, the commission has not yet launched any probes into those companies.

Tags: Disinformation, Elon Musk, European Union, Facebook, Free Speech, Hamas, Meta, Misinformation, X

X IS UNDER INVESTIGATION OVER DISFORMATION.

THAT NEWS COMING FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION MONDAY IN WHAT IS THE FIRST EVER PROBE OPENED UNDER EUROPE’S NEW DIGITAL SERVICES ACT.THE E.U. IS LOOKING INTO ACCUSATIONS THAT ELON MUSK’S PLATFORM VIOLATED NEW REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTED IN AUGUST CRACKING DOWN ON THE SPREAD OF DISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

THE PROBE COULD LAST SEVERAL MONTHS AND THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION WILL “ASSESS whether X may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to risk management, content moderation, dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers” ACCORDING TO A NEWS RELEASE.

THE INVESTIGATION COMES TWO MONTHS AFTER E-U OFFICIALS FIRST ASKED ‘X’ OFFICIALS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT “ILLEGAL CONTENT” – PARTICULARLY VIOLENT CONTENT SPREADING ON THE SITE – RELATED TO THE OCTOBER 7TH HAMAS TERROR ATTACK ON ISRAEL.

REGULATORS WILL CONTINUE GATHERING INFORMATION – TO SEE IF ‘X’ ATTEMPTED TO COUNTER DISINFORMATION RELATED TO THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR VIA IT’S COMMUNITY NOTES SYSTEM.

IF THE INVESTIGATION REVEALS THAT ‘X’ ENGAGED IN UNLAWFUL PRACTICES – such as not fighting disinformation – MUSK’S PLATFORM COULD BE FINED UP TO 6% OF ITS GLOBAL ANNUAL REVENUE.

AND BASED ON 2022 FIGURES…

‘X’ BROUGHT IN $4.4 BILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR – WHICH COULD EQUATE TO 282 MILLION DOLLARS IN FINES.

MUSK HAS NOT PERSONALLY COMMENTED ON THE PROBE – HOWEVER – ‘X’s’ “SAFETY PAGE” POSTED QUOTE:

[@Safety via X]

“X REMAINS COMMITTED TO COMPLYING WITH THE DIGITAL SERVICES ACT AND IS COOPERATING WITH THE REGULATORY PROCESS. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS PROCESS REMAINS FREE OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE AND FOLLOWS THE LAW. X IS FOCUSED ON CREATING A SAFE AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL USERS ON OUR PLATFORM, WHILE PROTECTING FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TIRELESSLY TOWARDS THIS GOAL.”

[Lauren Taylor]

OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES – SUCH AS MET’S FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM, ALONG WITH SNAPCHAT AND TIK-TOK – HAVE ALSO RECEIVED REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION UNDER THE DSA – HOWVER – THE COMMISSION HAS NOT YET LAUNCHED ANY PROBES INTO THOSE COMPANIES.