In a recent development, the European Union has taken the decision to open infringement proceedings against X, the social media platform founded by Elon Musk, previously known as Twitter. The move comes as a response to alleged breaches of X’s transparency obligations, its responsibility to tackle illegal content and disinformation, and concerns about its user interface design, particularly regarding the verification process known as “blue checks.”
Thierry Breton, the EU regulator, announced this action on Monday, highlighting the European Union’s commitment to ensuring compliance with digital regulations. The EU believes that X’s user interface design has been misleading, hence prompting further investigation.
When approached for comment, X responded with a brief email stating, “Busy now, please check back later,” indicating that the company is aware of the proceedings but currently unable to provide further details.
The European Commission stated that it initiated the formal infringement proceedings based on a preliminary investigation. This investigation involved analyzing X’s risk assessment report submitted in September, scrutinizing the platform’s Transparency report released on 3 November, and evaluating X’s replies to a formal request for information. The request for information particularly raised concerns about the dissemination of illegal content during Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel.
The upcoming proceedings will primarily focus on assessing X’s compliance with its obligations to combat the spread of illegal content within the EU, the effectiveness of measures taken by the social media platform to combat information manipulation, and the level of transparency that X provides to its users.
Source (CNBC)
