The European Union (EU) seems quite ‘upset with Elon Musk. The political bloc of 27 European nations is intensifying its investigation into Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter), demanding greater transparency regarding its algorithms. This move comes amid heightened scrutiny of Elon Musk‘s public pronouncements on European politics, which have fueled calls for stronger EU action.
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The European Commission, the EU’s digital regulator, is under pressure from EU lawmakers to address concerns about X potentially manipulating its platform to amplify far-right content and politicians. This follows Musk’s controversial statements on some European leaders and his support for Germany’s far-right AfD party.
Investigation goes back to December 2023
The investigation, initiated in December 2023 under the Digital Services Act (DSA), focuses on how Twitter handles illegal content and disinformation. The EU has now specifically requested internal documentation on Twitter’s recommender systems—the algorithms that personalize content for users—and any recent modifications made to them by February 15.
Furthermore, X is required to preserve all internal records concerning planned changes to its recommender algorithms from January 17 to December 31 of this year, unless the investigation concludes sooner. The EU also seeks access to certain commercial APIs, which would facilitate independent analysis of content moderation and account virality.
EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen emphasized the importance of these steps in assessing systemic risks and their mitigation under the DSA. The Commission aims to ensure X complies with EU legislation designed to create a fair, safe, and democratic online environment.
Musk has criticized the DSA as a form of censorship. The law, fully implemented in February 2023, represents the EU’s efforts to regulate large tech companies.
Despite accusations of political influence, particularly from the Trump administration, the EU maintains that its enforcement actions are impartial. In July 2024, the EU formally accused X of misleading users with its blue check verification system, lacking advertising transparency, and denying researchers access to platform data. An EU spokesperson reiterated that the latest demand for algorithmic transparency is entirely independent of any political considerations or recent events.
