EU Investigates X on Content Moderation Under New Tech Rules 

On Wednesday, the European Union (EU) probe increased its scrutiny on Musk’s social media platform X (FKA Twitter), under its rigorous new Digital Services Act (DSA), focusing on recent cuts to the platform’s content moderation team, as the EU works to curb illegal and harmful online content. 

The European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, publicly disclosed its request for detailed information from X. The inquiry stems from concerns raised by X’s March 2024 transparency report, which indicated a nearly 20% reduction in content moderation staff since an earlier report in October 2023. Moreover, the report showed a reduction in the number of EU languages covered by the platform, down from 11 to seven. 

The Commission’s investigation extends to the impact of generative AI technologies on electoral integrity, the spread of illegal content, and the protection of fundamental rights. This action follows the initiation of formal infringement proceedings against X in December of the previous year, relating to the platform’s handling of unlawful content during the Israel-Palestine war. The EU’s probe seeks to assess X’s adherence to mandates on countering illegal content, stopping information manipulation, and enhancing operational transparency. 

The DSA, effective since November 2022, imposes strict obligations on major online platforms to prevent the spread of disinformation and remove hate speech, carefully balancing these requirements against the right to free expression. The EU dictated to major tech companies, including Musk’s X, that failure to comply with these rules could result in fines up to 6% of the company’s global annual revenues. 

X is required to respond to the Union’s inquiries concerning its content moderation resources and its use of generative AI by May 17 of the current year, with additional responses due by May 27. These requests are part of the Commission’s broader efforts to gather evidence for its ongoing investigation into the platform’s compliance with the DSA. 

EU officials emphasize that this scrutinizing probe is crucial for understanding how X is addressing the challenges posed by disinformation and artificial intelligence, thereby safeguarding public discourse within the bloc. 

Amidst this scrutiny, questions have arisen regarding the EU’s regulatory focus.  

Some argue that while the Act rightly aims to address harmful content, the EU’s restrictions should extend beyond traditional concerns to newer phenomena, such as the Israeli war on Gaza and Palestinians.’ 

Comparisons have been drawn to X’s leniency on issues like pornography, where it’s viewed as a form of freedom of speech, under the US’ first amendment. Therefore, there are suggestions that if pornography is considered a freedom of speech, then so should be the ‘War on Gaza and Palestinians.’  

This only goes to raise further questions about the consistency and scope of the EU’s regulatory efforts in the digital sphere, as well as the content moderation imposed by X on certain accounts and content that does not necessarily ‘fit the pre-decided upon narrative.’  

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