EU launches groundbreaking probe into Elon Musk’s platform X under digital services act

The European Union (EU) has initiated “formal infringement proceedings” against Elon Musk’s platform X, formerly known as Twitter, marking the first major action under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The EU accuses the platform of violating regulations designed to combat disinformation and hate, particularly in connection with suspect posts related to Hamas’s October 7 attack in Israel.

EU Commissioner Thierry Breton emphasized that the time of online giants behaving as if they are ‘too big to care’ has come to an end, as the investigation into X’s compliance with DSA obligations unfolds.

The preliminary information-gathering investigation launched in October has led to a deeper probe, examining four key areas: the dissemination of illegal content, X’s efforts to combat disinformation, access to data for researchers, and potential deceptive practices related to its “Blue Tick” subscriptions.

X, responding to the EU’s action, asserted its commitment to complying with the Digital Services Act and stated that it is cooperating with the regulatory process.

If proven guilty, the DSA carries penalties, including fines up to six percent of the company’s global revenues. For serious and repeated violations, the EU retains the power to ban the platform from operating within the 27-nation bloc.

The formal probe against X will continue with evidence gathering, including additional requests for information, interviews, or inspections.

The proceedings grant the EU the authority to order interim or remedial steps pending the conclusion of the investigation, with no set deadline for its completion.

The EU’s scrutiny extends beyond X, as preliminary investigations have been launched against TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook owner Meta. These investigations also focus on how these platforms handled disinformation and illegal content related to the Hamas attack.

The EU’s move comes in the wake of concerns raised in September about X’s capacity to combat disinformation, following a pilot study of several platforms.

Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in October