DSA: European Commission launches inquiry into X (formerly Twitter)

On December 18, 2023, the European Commission announced the launch of an investigation into X (formerly Twitter) for non-compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA). Brussels suspects the social network of failing to meet its requirements in combating illegal content and disinformation. Indeed, since August 2023, the DSA has set drastic requirements for “very large digital platforms,” in order to make cyberspace a safer place.

The Commission will examine four points in particular:

• the effectiveness of X’s measures in combating illegal content;
• the effectiveness of its content moderation, particularly “community notes”;
• compliance with transparency requirements;
• any potential dark patterns (interface components that tend to deceive or manipulate, explicitly banned by the DSA), which are implemented to encourage users to opt for a paid subscription.

In the event of non-compliance with the DSA, a very large platform faces fines that can go up to 6% of its global yearly sales. Repeated infringements can even lead to exclusion from the European market.