The European Commission announced an escalation in its investigation into the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, to assess potential violations of the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The probe focuses on X’s content moderation practices and its compliance with the DSA’s regulatory framework. In a statement released Friday, the Commission confirmed issuing a “retention order” compelling X to preserve internal documentation and maintain records of changes to its recommender systems through the end of 2025.
This follows the investigation’s initiation in December 2023, aimed at evaluating the platform’s approach to moderating content and mitigating systemic risks. X has been directed to submit internal documents by 15 February 2025, detailing its recommender system, which influences content suggestions for users, and to outline recent modifications to this feature. Additionally, the Commission has sought access to certain technical interfaces as part of its inquiry into the platform’s operations.
EU digital policy chief Henna Virkkunen emphasized the importance of these measures in ensuring adherence to the DSA. “Today we are taking further steps to shed light on the compliance of X’s recommender systems with the obligations under the DSA,” she stated. The Act is central to the EU’s effort to address systemic risks associated with digital platforms. The retention order will enable Commission services to comprehensively evaluate X’s algorithmic processes and their potential role in amplifying harmful or illegal content.
Officials aim to determine whether the platform has implemented sufficient measures to mitigate risks as required under the DSA. This intensified scrutiny comes amid broader EU efforts to enforce digital regulations across major online platforms. The DSA mandates transparency and accountability, requiring platforms to monitor and reduce the dissemination of illegal content while protecting users’ rights. The Commission’s investigation represents a critical test of the DSA’s application to social media giants, with the outcome likely to set a precedent for regulatory oversight in the digital ecosystem. – By MENA Newswire News Desk.