X, formerly known as Twitter, is being investigated by European Union regulators over the spread of illegal content and disinformation in the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel.
EU officials sent a series of questions to X asking about its content moderation practices, according to the Financial Times. The officials are also seeking information on how X responds to a “crisis” such as the conflict in Gaza.
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It is the first investigation initiated since the EU passed the Digital Services Act, a law imposing more content moderation. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton had threatened to take legal action against X and Meta on Tuesday, demanding they take more aggressive action to minimize disinformation spread by the terrorist organization.
A failure to reply or a submission of incomplete information could lead to periodic penalties or fines of up to 5% of the company’s daily global turnover.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino wrote a response to Breton on Thursday elaborating on the platform’s actions to counter disinformation related to Hamas.
“X is committed to serving the public conversation, especially in critical moments like this, and understands the importance of addressing any illegal content that may be disseminated through the platform,” Yaccarino wrote. “There is no place on X for terrorist organizations or violent extremist groups, and we continue to remove such accounts in real time, including proactive efforts.”
Today @lindayaX responded to @ThierryBreton’s letter detailing our work in response to the terrorist attack on Israel. pic.twitter.com/yZtaOVGpHG
— Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) October 12, 2023
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Yaccarino noted that X has removed tens of thousands of posts involving false information, suspended hundreds of accounts, and posted thousands of Community Notes offering fact-checks to related content. The X CEO also said the platform was seeking to limit the sharing of posts that could “deceive or confuse people” and, in some cases, labeling posts to point out when it is misleading.
Meta was one of several Big Tech companies that signed an agreement with the EU to regulate content. X abstained from signing, and owner Elon Musk has attempted to rally European politicians to push back on the Digital Services Act.
