European Commission Poised to Warn Elon Musk's X Over Dangerous Content

Under the New Digital Services Act, X Faces Potential Fines Up to 6% of Total Revenue if It Fails to Comply

NEWS  News  July 5, 2024  Reading time: 2 Minute(s)

Max (RS editor)

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The European Commission is reportedly preparing to serve Elon Musk's social media platform, X, with a formal warning for not adequately combating dangerous content. This move comes under the new Digital Services Act (DSA). If X does not take action following the warning, the Commission could impose fines up to 6% of the platform’s total revenue.

  

X is one of several major tech companies under intense scrutiny by the European Union, alongside giants like Apple, Meta, and Microsoft. The EU's focus is on ensuring these platforms adhere to the stringent guidelines set out by both the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. X has a history of confronting anti-competitive practices by other tech behemoths, so it is unlikely to remain passive in the face of these allegations.

The Digital Services Act, as detailed on the European Commission website, mandates that users must be able to report illegal content such as hate speech, and platforms are required to process these alerts swiftly and provide updates. The DSA also covers the moderation of misinformation and terrorist propaganda. Bloomberg's sources indicate that Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton is expected to issue the warning before the EU's summer recess, scheduled for the end of July.

 Breton has previously emphasized that X must comply with EU regulations, a sentiment Musk acknowledged by promising a content moderation council for the platform. In 2023, Breton noted that X had shown a strong willingness to comply with the DSA, suggesting the platform might respond positively to the upcoming warning. The European Commission launched an investigation into X in 2023 to scrutinize potential DSA violations. 

The outcome of this investigation and the subsequent warning from the European Commission will be pivotal. X, under Elon Musk’s leadership, has been apparently striving to boost its revenue streams and will likely seek to avoid hefty fines. The platform’s response to the Commission’s findings will be critical in determining its future operations and compliance within the European market.

 

 IMAGES CREDITS: X | WIKIPEDIA | EUROPEAN COMMISSION