EU Deepens Probe into Elon Musk's X Regarding Content Moderation
The European Commission speeds up its investigation into X's adherence to EU regulations before Trump's inauguration.
The European Commission has declared that it is intensifying its inquiry into whether Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has breached the European Union's content moderation policies.
Initiated in December 2023, the investigation focuses on determining if X’s content suggestion system adheres to the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA).
The Commission has asked X to provide internal documents regarding the recommender system and any recent modifications by February 15. EU digital head Henna Virkkunen mentioned that this initiative is part of the effort to ensure X's compliance with the DSA.
X, which did not respond to the Commission's request for feedback, has been criticized by European politicians, facing allegations of election interference, mainly because of Musk’s political support for far-right groups in Europe.
Musk, a supporter of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, has frequently been at odds with EU regulators over these issues.
The Commission’s inquiry will evaluate whether X’s algorithms endorse a single narrative or engage in 'shadow-banning' opposing perspectives, raising concerns about the fairness of elections.
This focus on the recommender system comes as the Commission continues to uphold EU regulations aimed at tackling illegal content, including hate speech and election meddling.
The Commission issued a 'retention order' mandating X to safeguard pertinent internal documents and details on changes to its algorithms from January 17 to December 2025. They also requested access to X's technical interfaces for direct fact-finding related to content moderation and account virality.
While Musk has justified his actions as upholding free speech and democracy, European regulators are worried about the systemic risks linked to the platform’s content moderation strategies.
The investigation is ongoing, with further developments anticipated as X endeavors to meet EU regulatory standards.