EU steps up probe into Musk’s X with new demands By Reuters

By Marine Strauss and Philip Blenkinsop

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Fee stated on Friday it was stepping up its investigation into whether or not Elon Musk’s social media community X breached EU guidelines on content material moderation with requests for data and an order for it to retain related paperwork.

As a part of its investigation launched in December 2023, the EU government stated it was requesting X to supply by Feb. 15 inside documentation about its recommender system that makes content material options to customers, and any current modifications made to it.

“At present we’re taking additional steps to make clear the compliance of X’s recommender techniques with the obligations below the DSA,” EU digital chief Henna Virkkunen stated in a press release, referring to the EU’s Digital Providers Act.

X proprietor Musk has repeatedly clashed with EU regulators, whereas some European politicians have accused him of meddling in elections, equivalent to along with his streamed dialog with the chief of Germany’s far-right Different for Germany. Musk has stated the criticism is an affront to democracy and free speech.

The Fee issued a “retention order” requiring X to protect inside paperwork and knowledge concerning future modifications to the design and functioning of its recommender algorithms for the interval from Jan. 17 to the tip of 2025.

It additionally requested entry to sure of X’s technical interfaces.

“These steps will enable the Fee companies to take all related information under consideration within the advanced evaluation below the DSA of systemic dangers and their mitigation,” the Fee stated.