Brussels: Elon Musk’s social media venture X has been found in breach of EU online content regulations, EU tech regulators announced on Friday, potentially leading to fines and operational adjustments.
The European Commission’s decision follows a thorough seven-month investigation under the Digital Services Act (DSA), mandating stricter measures for large online platforms and search engines in combating illegal content and safeguarding public security.
Alongside X, other platforms such as ByteDance’s TikTok, AliExpress, and Meta Platforms are also under investigation for compliance with the DSA.
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The EU regulatory body highlighted several issues with X, including concerns over dark patterns, transparency in advertising, and access to data for researchers. It criticized X for discrepancies in its verified accounts, affecting users’ ability to discern authentic interactions.
Additionally, X failed to meet DSA requirements for a searchable advertisement repository and allegedly obstructed researchers from accessing public data. The company now faces potential fines of up to 6% of its global turnover pending further investigation and response to the charges.
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“X has now the right of defence — but if our view is confirmed we will impose fines and require significant changes,” stated EU industry chief Thierry Breton.
The Commission continues separate inquiries into the dissemination of illegal content on X and its efforts against disinformation.
