Misinformation on the internet
EU Commission opens proceedings against online service X
December 18, 2023, 12:09 p.m
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Already in October, Brussels warned the online platform X for spreading false information in connection with the war between Israel and Hamas. The commission is now initiating a formal procedure.
The EU Commission has opened formal proceedings against the online service X due to the spread of false information. The Commission announced that the authority had initiated investigations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), among other things, due to the “dissemination of illegal content”. The US company did not provide satisfactory answers to a request for information from Brussels.
According to its own statements, the commission also wants to check whether the so-called blue ticks on the platform can have a “deceptive” effect. Owner Elon Musk introduced a subscription model on X with which users can buy the blue tick. The hook had previously indicated the authenticity of the profiles of institutions and celebrities. The Commission also suspects that X is not releasing sufficient data about advertisements on the platform.
Brussels had already warned X in October for spreading false information in connection with the war between Israel and Hamas. Under the DSA, which came into force at the end of August, large internet companies are obliged, among other things, to take action against disinformation on their platforms.
According to a study by the EU Commission, X has the largest proportion of such false information. Critics accuse owner Elon Musk of having sharply scaled back content moderation and cracking down on hate speech and misinformation since taking over Twitter last year.