The European Commission is deepening its scrutiny of X with some new information requirements. For example, X must provide documentation on its recommendation system and commercial APIs, and ht must keep information on other matters.
The European Commission is continuing its investigation into X. Proceedings have been ongoing against the platform since 2023 for allegedly failing to comply with the rules of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The EU now wants to obtain additional information from X.
Specifically, the commission expects X to share documentation about the recommendation system under the hood of X. X must also keep all data regarding algorithm modifications between Jan. 17, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2025. Finally, the EU wants access to various commercial APIs and technical interfaces. This is necessary to get a better picture of how content moderation works.
The investigation promises to be interesting. Ever since Elon Musk took over Twitter and transformed it into X, it has been pushing back against moderation on the platform under the guise of absolute free speech. In the EU, however, large platforms like X must take responsibility under the DSA to stop hate content and misinformation, among other things.
X and Musk vs. European rules
However, Musk and X’s opposition to Europe’s ambition to regulate technology platforms on its territory does not promise to diminish. Musk previously found it necessary to shine his light on German politics by speaking out in favor of Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD). That party enjoys little sympathy among classical politicians because of far-right thinking and ties to neo-Nazis. Back home in the U.S., Musk has worked his way up to become President Donald Trump’s right-hand man, who won the election with promises of mass deportations. Along with Trump, Musk promises not to simply acquiesce to European regulatory plans.
For its part, the Commission is combative. “We are determined to ensure that every platform present in the EU respects our legislation. That aims to make the online environment fair, safe and democratic for all European citizens,” said Henna Virkkunen (Finland – Christian Democrats), European Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.