The European Commission Warns X Corp. on Illegal Content

The European Commission issued a warning to X Corp. owner Elon Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino regarding the spread of illegal content on their social media platform. The warning pertained to issues such as incitements to violence and hate speech.

Yaccarino considered the warning to be an attempt to apply European laws to political activities in the US. She also criticized the suggestion that European citizens are incapable of forming their own opinions based on conversations they hear.

The European Commissioner, Thierry Breton, emphasized the need for X Corp. to address the dissemination of content that incites violence, hate, and racism. This call was made in the context of major political and societal events around the world.

The riots in the UK were fueled by disinformation spreading on X’s platform, falsely identifying the perpetrator of attacks as an asylum-seeker. Musk’s comments further exacerbated the situation, with suggestions of an impending civil war.

The European Union initiated an investigation into X Corp. to assess potential breaches of the Digital Services Act. Breton warned Musk of the consequences, including fines amounting to 6% of the company’s global annual revenue.

The European Commission highlighted the potential spillover effects of illegal content distributed on X, even when it pertains to events outside the EU. Measures such as changes to recommender systems and increased monitoring of keywords can be enforced under the DSA.

The warning issued by the European Commission to X Corp. serves as a reminder of the responsibility that social media platforms hold in curbing the spread of illegal content. This case underscores the need for stringent regulations to protect users from harmful content and disinformation. Musk and Yaccarino must work towards ensuring the effectiveness of their systems to prevent the incitement of violence and hate speech on their platform. Failure to do so may result in penalties and restrictions that could significantly impact X Corp.’s operations in Europe.