EU is formally investigating X over content about the Israel-Hamas war

The European Union (EU) has formally opened an investigation into X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to ensure it complies with the Digital Services Act (DSA) following the Hamas attack on Israel in early October and the subsequent Israeli airstrike on Gaza. According to the request, this comes after “indications received by the Commission services regarding the alleged dissemination of illegal content and disinformation, in particular the dissemination of terrorist and violent content and hate speech.”

Earlier this week, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton sent a letter to X owner Elon Musk, alleging that the platform is “being used to spread illegal content and disinformation in the EU.”

The EU requests that X provide information related to its investigation by October 18. Investigators reportedly ask X what the company’s protocols are during crisis situations. according to the Financial times. In his letter earlier this week, Brenton noted that the media has widely reported on misleading images about X that include previous armed conflicts as well as manipulated conflicts.

The investigation into X is the first under the new DSA, says the Financial Times. Under the law, tech giants such as Meta, Google and Amazon, which operate “very large online platforms” with millions of users, can be held liable for content that is illegal in the EU. The commission could, in serious cases, impose fines of up to up to six percent of global revenue.