EU Accuses X of Violating Digital Content Rules

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Jul 12, 2024

Image copyright: Nathan Stirk/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Imagesstory last updated Jul 13

The Facts

On Friday, the EU technology watchdog preliminarily ruled that social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, was running afoul of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which could lead to fines or penalties against the company.
In particular, the ability to purchase X verification was found to have made it difficult for users to gauge the "authenticity" of accounts and content. The European Commission also said it found evidence of "malicious actors" abusing the new verification system.

The Spin

Narrative A

Elon Musk's ownership of X has been a disaster, as the company hemorrhages money and attracts unwanted attention from regulators at home and abroad. The changes Musk has brought to the platform have made the experience worse and harmed users, and the EU is finally stepping in to hold the platform to account for this.

CNN

Narrative B

The EU's digital regulations have proven to be a nightmare for anyone who cares about free expression on the internet. The DSA opens the door to state control of information under a protective guise, and X was one of the first platforms to take a stand against this. The EU is penalizing X for not taking part in its censorship regime, as Musk is a vocal DSA critic.