2023-12-18 18:51:41
This is the first formal investigation against a digital platform under the Digital Services Act (DSA), adopted in August and which regulates the operations of digital giants in the European Union (EU).
“The opening of a formal investigation against digital themes.
“We will launch an in-depth investigation into X’s compliance with DSA obligations regarding the fight against the spread and amplification of illegal content and disinformation in the EU,” he added.
The Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, had opened a preliminary investigation on October 12, five days after the attack by Hamas militiamen in Israel, for alleged dissemination of “illicit content” and “incitement to hatred.”
As part of this preliminary investigation, in a first stage the Commission requested information to verify whether platform X implemented the obligations established by the DSA.
The response of the social network and its “transparency report”, published at the beginning of November on its content moderation method, did not convince the European Executive, which decided to open a formal investigation.
“Alarming hate speech”
The DSA contemplates fines that can reach 6% of the global turnover of the accused company and, in the event that serious and prolonged violations are proven, a ban on operating in the EU area may even be declared.
The Commission reported this Monday that after opening this formal investigation, it will continue gathering “evidence” and that it will request more information from X, including interviews or inspections.
The opening of this process allows the Commission to take measures to force X to comply with the rules or to accept solutions proposed by the social network to resolve the problems identified.
The investigation opened against X does not stipulate any deadline. Also under the DSA and for the same reason, the Commission has already launched preliminary investigations into TikTok, YouTube and Facebook.
The Hamas attack on October 7 killed about 1,140 people in Israel, most of them civilians. In addition, the Palestinian Islamist group took about 240 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel responded with heavy bombing in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, and much of that territory was reduced to rubble.
The Ministry of Health of the Hamas government reported that so far more than 18,800 Palestinians (around 70% of them women, children and adolescents) have died as a result of these bombings.
In the hours and days following the Hamas attack, major social media sites were flooded with videos and photographs showing the victims.
In November, the European Commission suspended its advertising campaigns on network
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