Just because X doesn’t want to play doesn’t mean it can ignore the European rules. The Commission is opening an investigation into the former Twitter on suspicion of several violations of the DSA.

The European Digital Services Act (DSA) applies to all large companies that offer digital services. There are currently seventeen so-called regulations for regulations Very large online platforms which must adhere to strict rules, including Facebook, Wikipedia and Twitter. The name changes to The result is no surprise: the EU opens an investigation against X for violating the provisions of the DSA.

The research is based on three pillars. X would not follow the rules regarding:

• The obligations to combat illegal content and disinformation. X is required to review and remove such content in a timely manner, but does not appear to act quickly or appropriately when posts violate the DSA’s rules.
• The obligations of transparency. X offers only very limited access to data on its platform, which makes the work of researchers, for example, more difficult. The advertising library, which is supposed to provide information about who or what is behind the advertising, would also be inadequate.
• Prohibiting misleading user interface design. This fee has to do with the famous blue tick, which before Elon Musk took over meant that the user’s identity was verified, and today just means that a given user’s subscription money has correctly landed in X’s account.

The EU notes that the investigation does not mean that X is necessarily guilty and that the penalty of six percent of global turnover is not sought. If violations are actually discovered, the EU would prefer if X sat down at a table and worked out concrete solutions. Only when eX-Twitter refuses will it be time for sanctions.

Today we are opening formal infringement proceedings against @X :

⚠️Suspicion of breach of counter-duties #Illegal content And #Disinformation

⚠️Suspected violation of #Transparency Commitments

⚠️Guessed #DeceptiveDesign or user interface#DSA pic.twitter.com/NxKIif603k

— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) December 18, 2023

(Un)successful self-regulation

Other major platforms have worked with the EU to address issues in recent months, but Twitter declined to participate in the voluntary code of conduct for internet platforms. After the takeover, Musk also laid off around eighty percent of the workforce, including technical experts and moderation teams.

All of this makes the EU doubt the effectiveness of the rules that X imposes on itself. The so-called Community notes form the basis of X’s self-regulation mechanism. Through this system, users can indicate that certain posts need more context. Such a system is relevant, but of course must function sufficiently well.

Roller coaster

X has undergone an interesting development since its acquisition by Elon Musk. In addition to the decimated workforce, it is striking that many (American) right-wing extremist personalities and notorious disinformation spreaders have regained access to the platform. Musk himself turned off advertisers by openly supporting an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory on his own platform.