The European Commission requires messaging service X to hand over its internal documents.
The European Commission wants to see the internal documents of X, owned by Elon Musk, about the service’s recommendation algorithm. / SplashNews.com, AOP
The European Commission requires messaging service X to provide it with information about its recommendation algorithm.
Already in December 2023, i.e. more than a year ago, the Commission launched an investigation into whether the service violates the EU’s digital services regulation. As part of this investigation, the commission now wants to obtain X’s internal documents about the service’s referral system and possibly any recent changes to it.
The Commission has set February 15 as the deadline for the release of information.
– We are committed to ensuring that every platform operating in the EU respects our legislation, which aims for a fair, safe and democratic online environment for all EU citizens, says Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen.
Virkkusen’s areas of responsibility include technology, security and strengthening democracy.
The owner of X is businessman Elon Musk. Musk will also become the co-director of the Office of Effectiveness of Donald Trump, who will take over the duties of the US president next week.
Musk has recently attacked leading politicians in Britain and Germany and has given his support to the far-right party Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD). X has been suspected of giving far-right politicians and messages supporting their views wider visibility than others.
In addition to the fact that the EU Commission wants X to hand over its internal documents, it requires the company to keep its recommendation algorithm information until the end of this year, unless the Commission’s investigation ends before then.
In addition, the commission requires access to certain software interfaces of X so that it can directly see how content is monitored and how different user accounts gain visibility.