Musk’s X faces EU investigation for DSA violations
The breaches involve dark patterns, a lack of advertising transparency, inadequate data access for researchers, and misleading user verification practices.
According to a ruling by the EU tech regulators, Elon Musk’s social media company, X, has breached the EU online content rules. The decision taken by the European Commission follows a seven-month investigation under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates that large online platforms and search engines tackle illegal content and address risks to public security. The European Commission highlighted issues with X’s use of dark patterns, lack of advertising transparency, and restricted data access for researchers.
The investigation also noted that X’s verified accounts, marked with a blue checkmark, do not adhere to industry standards, impairing users’ ability to verify account authenticity. X must also meet the DSA requirement to provide a reliable, searchable advertisement repository. The company has also been accused of obstructing researchers from accessing its public data, violating the DSA.
Why does this matter?
X has several months to respond to these charges. The company could face a fine of up to 6% of its global turnover if found guilty. The EU industry chief, Thierry Breton, stated that if their findings are confirmed, they will impose fines and demand significant operational changes.
Meanwhile, the European Commission continues separate investigations into disseminating illegal content on X and the measures it has taken to counter disinformation. Similar investigations are also ongoing for other platforms, including ByteDance’s TikTok, AliExpress, and Meta Platforms.
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