EU expands scrutiny of Elon Musk’s X over content moderation concerns

The European Union is ramping up its investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter. According to Bloomberg News, the probe centres on whether the platform violated the bloc’s strict content moderation rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The inquiry began in late 2023, partly driven by concerns over posts following Hamas’ attacks on Israel. The investigation is the first under the DSA, which requires large online platforms to combat illegal content and address public security risks.

European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen stated that the scope of the investigation may expand. “We are currently assessing if the scope is large enough,” she told Bloomberg TV.

The scrutiny intensified recently as Musk, now an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, has been endorsing far-right figures. One such figure is Alice Weidel, the Alternative for Germany’s chancellor candidate. Musk hosted a live-streamed discussion with Weidel on X, which the European Commission suspects may have been unfairly promoted, potentially breaching the DSA’s rules on impartiality.

In July, EU regulators ruled that X had already violated online content laws, accusing the platform of misleading users with its blue checkmark system. Musk responded by vowing a public legal battle to “reveal the truth.”

The latest investigation highlights the growing tension between the EU and X as the bloc seeks to enforce its content moderation standards. Both X and the European Commission have yet to issue statements regarding the ongoing probe.