The investigation is perhaps the most significant regulatory step to date against X, which, according to researchers, has caused the increase in the number of incitement content on the platform.
On Monday, the European Union announced the start of the official investigation into the X, social network of Ilon Mask, accusing it of inability to counteract illegal content and misinformation, lack of transparency on advertising and "deceptive" design practices.
This investigation is perhaps the most significant regulatory step directed against X, since the company has reduced its content of content moderation after Mr Musk bought a service once known as Twitter, last year. According to researchers, the new policy of the company has led to an increase in the number of inciting content on the platform, which forced brands to reduce the volume of advertising.
In the fight against X, the European Union for the first time uses the powers obtained after the passage of the Law on Digital Services last year. The law gives regulators new broad powers to force social media companies to control their platforms for hatred, misinformation and other content that split society. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok and YouTube are also subject to the new law.
The European Commission, the executive body of the bloc, made up of 27 countries, made it clear that it was more closely to look at the business practitioner X. In October, the regulators initiated a preliminary investigation into the spread of "terrorist and violent content and hatred language" on X after the beginning of the conflict between Israel and the gas.
"The evidence we currently have is enough to formally open the proceedings against X," said Margret Westager, the Executive Vice President of the European Commission, which oversees digital policy, in his statement. "The commission will carefully examine compliance with the X DSA requirements to guarantee the security of European citizens.
Company X stated that "it remains committed to the law on digital services and cooperates with the regulatory process."
"X is focused on creating a safe and inclusive environment for all users of our platform while protecting the freedom of expression, and we will continue to work tirelessly to achieve this goal," the company said.
The investigation emphasizes a significant difference between the United States and Europe in the control of the Internet. While in the United States, publications on the Internet are practically not regulated by the protection of freedom of speech, European governments, for historical and cultural reasons, have established more restrictions on hatred language, incitement to violence and other harmful materials.
The Law on Digital Services was an attempt by the European Union to force the company to introduce procedures to more consistently comply with the rules on such content on the Internet.
