European Commission launches formal proceedings against X over ‘illegal content’

The European Commission announced Monday that it has launched a formal investigation against the social media platform X over its compliance with obligations concerning the "dissemination and amplification of illegal content."

The move intends to determine whether the platform may have breached the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to risk management, content moderation, dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers, according to a statement by the commission.

"On the basis of the preliminary investigation conducted so far, including on the basis of an analysis of the risk assessment report submitted by X in September, X's transparency report published on Nov. 3 and X's replies to a formal request for information, which, among others, concerned the dissemination of illegal content in the context of Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel, the Commission has decided to open formal infringement proceedings against X under the Digital Services Act," it said.

Noting that it will carry out an extensive investigation as a matter of priority, the commission added that "the opening of formal infringement proceedings does not prejudge its outcome."