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The European Union has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly Twitter, focusing on the spread of illegal content.
In an announcement on Monday, the EU said it was investigating possible breaches of the Digital Services Act, a set of rules designed to keep consumers safe online. EU Vice President Margrethe Vestager said large online platforms like X pose a higher risk to society and therefore need to adhere to more specific standards.
“The higher the risk that large platforms pose to our society, the more specific the requirements of the Digital Services Act are. We take any violation of our rules very seriously,” Vestager said in a statement.
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News of the investigation comes as the platform faces increasing scrutiny over the spread of misinformation related to the Gaza conflict. The Anti-Defamation League has reported that anti-Semitic content has increased by more than 900 percent since the October 7 attack. Musk was also criticized for spreading anti-Semitic theories on the platform.
It is the first formal action against a major social media platform under the Digital Services Act, which came into force in November 2022. Under its rules, X could face fines of up to 6 percent of its global sales.
The investigation comes just weeks after EU Commissioner Thierry Breton announced that the EU had sent the company a request for information about how it deals with hate speech, violence and terrorist content. Breton also sent a warning letter directly to Musk, pressing him on whether the platform was being used to spread disinformation related to the Hamas attacks.
“The #DSA is here to protect both freedom of expression and our democracies – even in times of crisis,” Breton wrote on X in mid-October.
Linda Yaccarino, chief executive of She also said the company had assembled a group of leaders to handle the crisis response to the war.
The next steps of the investigation involve a series of requests for information, which may include interviews or inspections. The law does not set a formal deadline for discontinuing the proceedings, according to Monday's announcement.
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In response to the EU announcement, X's security department said The company is committed to complying with the Digital Services Act and cooperating with the regulatory process.
“It is important that this process remains free from political interference and follows the law,” the company said. “X is focused on creating a safe and inclusive environment for all users of our platform while protecting freedom of expression, and we will continue to work tirelessly toward this goal.”