EU opens formal DSA investigation into X in wake of Israel-Hamas war

X, the platform previously referred to as Twitter, could have damaged the European Union’s powerful new Digital Service Act guidelines, regulators stated as they introduced the opening of a proper investigation right now. A key concern of the investigation is “the dissemination of unlawful content material within the context of Hamas’ terrorist assaults towards Israel,” the European Fee says.

In a press launch, the Fee stated it would take a look at X’s makes an attempt to counter the unfold of unlawful content material on its platform and can look at X’s efforts to cease “data manipulation” through its Group Notes system and different insurance policies. It’s additionally trying into issues past content material moderation, together with “misleading design” referring to “the so-called Blue checks,” promoting transparency, and knowledge entry for researchers.

That is the primary time the Fee has launched formal proceedings beneath the DSA, the regulator stated. The EU introduced the so-called “Very Massive On-line Platforms,” or VLOPs, to be regulated beneath the DSA in April 2023. Alongside X, the checklist included 16 different platforms and two search engines like google together with Meta’s Fb and Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Amazon, Google Search, and Apple’s App Retailer.

“The upper the danger giant platforms pose to our society, the extra particular the necessities of the Digital Providers Act are,” stated Margrethe Vestager, EU Govt Vice-President. “We take any breach of our guidelines very severely. And the proof we presently have is sufficient to formally open a continuing towards X.”

“Right this moment’s opening of formal proceedings towards X makes it clear that, with the DSA, the time of massive on-line platforms behaving like they’re ‘too large to care’ has come to an finish,” stated Thierry Breton, EU commissioner for Inner markets.

The Fee says that its subsequent steps will probably be to assemble proof, and that it could take interim enforcement motion towards X. There is no such thing as a authorized deadline for when formal proceedings like this should be delivered to an finish.