EU Starts First Major Investigation Into X's Reduction Of Content Moderation Resources

On Wednesday, the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, announced that it has asked for information from X under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The European Union (EU) is initiating its first major investigation into social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

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The European Union (EU) is initiating its first major investigation into social media platform X, formerly Twitter, under its stringent new laws governing online content, requesting details about reductions in its content moderation resources.

On Wednesday, the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, announced that it has asked for information from X under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This groundbreaking tech law mandates online platforms to adopt a much stricter stance on monitoring and removing illegal and harmful content from their platforms.

The commission expressed concern regarding X's transparency report submitted to the regulator in March 2024. The report revealed a reduction of nearly 20 per cent in X's team of content moderators compared to the number reported in an earlier transparency report from October 2023, says a report from CNBC.

Citing Elon Musk-owned X's transparency report, the commission stated that X decreased linguistic coverage within the EU from 11 languages to seven.

The European Commission stated that it is requesting additional information from X regarding risk assessments and measures to mitigate the impact of generative artificial intelligence on electoral processes, dissemination of illegal material, and safeguarding fundamental rights.

"The request for information sent today is a further step in an ongoing investigation," the EU was quoted as saying.

"It builds upon the evidence gathering and analysis conducted so far, including in relation to X's Transparency report published in March 2024 and X's replies to previous requests for information, which addressed, among others, mitigation measures for risks linked to generative AI," it added.

The commission further added that X is required to furnish the EU with information regarding its content moderation resources and generative AI by May 17. Additionally, the agency mentioned that any outstanding responses to inquiries from the commission must be submitted by no later than May 27.

To recall, last December, the Commission initiated formal proceedings to evaluate whether X may have violated the DSA in aspects related to risk management, content moderation, dark patterns, advertising transparency, and data access for researchers.