(TheConservativeTimes.org) – Controversial tech billionaire Elon Musk is not one to shy a way from a battle, but he might be biting off more than he can chew this time as the EU prepares to launch an investigation into X / Twitter, on charges that the platform with disseminating “illegal content and disinformation.”
The announcement, was, ironically, posted on Twitter itself, with E.U. commissioner Thierry Breton tweeting, “Today, we open formal infringement proceedings against @X.”
The EU will be pursuing the inquiry under its new Digital Services Act (DSA), which went into effect last August. Under the said law, online platforms that have more than 45 million active users in the EU will be subject to regulation by the EU. Besides Twitter, the platforms also affected by the rule include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Bing, YouTube, and Google. According to EU officials, the new rule’s goal is to “prevent illegal and harmful activities online” as well as stem the proliferation of fake news and other forms of disinformation.
According to Breton, Twitter may have violated rules that obligate it to take steps to ward off “illegal content and disinformation”. On top of that, the social media platform may also have committed a breach of its transparency obligations to the EU and is suspected of using a “deceptive” user interface.
The investigation by the EU is likely the most significant effect to date of Musk’s changes to the platform ever since he took over the company’s reins after buying it roughly a year ago. One of the biggest changes he implemented – aside from firing a large segment of the company’s staff – was a major scale back in content moderation. Musk has been an ardent proponent of absolute freedom of speech, which has led him to reinstate the accounts of a number of individuals who have been permanently banned from the platform before. These include former president Donald Trump, as well as the controversial and outspoken shock jock and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
If Twitter is found guilty of violating the DSA, it faces a fine amounting to 6% of its global turnover.
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