The European Union is requesting information from social networking platform X regarding reductions to its content moderation resources as part of its initial comprehensive inquiry into the corporation under its strict new regulations governing online material.
TakeAway Points:
- The EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, announced yesterday that it had sent X a request for information in accordance with the Digital Services Act, a ground-breaking statute designed to combat dangerous and illicit content.
- The transparency report that X submitted in March 2024 revealed that it had reduced its staff of content moderators by about 20% since October 2023, which alarmed the commission.
- By May 17, X has to give the EU the information about its generative AI and content moderation resources that it has requested, according to the commission.
European Union’s Digital Services Act
The European Commission, the European Union’s executive branch,announced in a statement today that it had asked X for information in accordance with the Digital Services Act, a ground-breaking tech law that mandates online platforms adopt a far stricter stance when it comes to monitoring illicit and harmful content on their platforms.
X’s Transparency Report
The commission expressed its concerns regarding X’s transparency report, which it filed with the regulator in March 2024 and which revealed that, in comparison to the number of moderators it claimed in an early October 2023 transparency report, X had reduced its team of content moderators by almost 20%.
The commission stated that X decreased the number of languages covered by the EU from eleven to seven, citing X’s transparency report once more.
According to the commission, it is looking for more information from X regarding risk assessments and mitigating strategies related to the influence of generative artificial intelligence on election procedures, the distribution of illicit content, and the defence of fundamental rights.
EU Demands Generative AI and Other Information
By May 17, X is required by the EU to submit information about its generative AI and content moderation resources. According to the agency, the remaining responses to the commission’s queries must be given by May 27 at the latest.
The commission stated that its information request was an additional phase in a formal investigation into potential violations of the recently enacted EU Digital Services Act.
Concerns regarding X’s strategy for dealing with illegal information related to the Israel-Hamas conflict prompted the commission to open formal infringement procedures against the company in December of last year.
The probe, according to the commission at the time, will concentrate on X’s adherence to its obligations to prevent the spread of illicit material within the EU, the success of the social media platform’s efforts to prevent misinformation, and its initiatives to boost openness.
DSA Probe into X
The information requests, according to EU authorities, are meant to supplement the data that has already been acquired about their DSA probe into X. This evidence includes responses to earlier requests for information on X’s efforts to address disinformation risks associated with generative AI hazards, as well as the company’s transparency report from March.
The DSA, which only went into force in November 2022, balances concerns about freedom of expression with requirements for big online platforms like X to reduce the risk of misinformation and implement strict policies to remove hate speech.
Businesses that violate the regulations may be subject to fines equal to 6% of their yearly worldwide sales.
