Investigators demand more internal company information on algorithms
of the social platform, which is suspected of being a tool of interference in the European debate.
To Elon Musk's provocations on the future German legislative elections, the European Commission is responding with an increased investigation into its social network investigation launched into the possible abuses and dangers of the social platform will focus more on the functioning of X's recommendation algorithms, which decide the messages put in front of users' eyes.
“Today we are taking further steps to shed light on whether X’s recommender systems comply with DSA obligations”announced the European Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen. “We are committed to ensuring that all platforms operating in the EU comply with our legislation, which aims to make the online space safe and democratic for all European citizens.”
Concretely, the investigators are demanding from X access, by February 15, to its internal documentation regarding the operation of its recommendation algorithms and all their recent updates. It orders the company to keep all documents on future changes to its recommendation system for the whole of 2025. Finally, it orders access to certain technical interfaces (API) to facilitate its investigations. .
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Calls for a firm response
This investigation could answer a question that has become pressing within the Union: is Elon Musk misusing his social network to better destabilize the Old Continent? “Elon Musk supports the far right all over Europe, in Britain, in Germany and in many countries. This is unacceptable and endangers the democratic development of Europe.”German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said this Friday during a press conference. “The reactionary international, as President Macron said a few days ago, (…) led by the richest man on the planet, openly attacks our institutions, incites hatred and openly calls for support the heirs of Nazism in Germany during the next elections”Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared on January 8.
The boss of Tesla and SpaceX, who has become a close advisor to Donald Trump, is loudly calling for the victory of the far-right AFD party in the German legislative elections on February 23. Last Thursday, he spoke with Alice Wiedel, head of the AFD and candidate for chancellor, live on his social network. He multiplies messages of support for the AFD on his personal account, followed by 212 million Internet users. X is accused of amplifying the reach of its shareholder's messages and putting them in front of the eyes of users who do not yet follow it. The Brussels investigation would make it possible to verify this point, as well as to determine whether or not the exposure of the conversation with Alice Wiedel was amplified in Europe.
The Commission has repeatedly said that Elon Musk has the right to his opinions, which fall within his freedom of expression. But its platform would find itself in violation of the DSA if the operation of its algorithms represented a danger. Voices in the European Parliament have multiplied in recent days to urge the executive to respond firmly to what is perceived as interference. The Commission “must immediately activate its investigative powers to verify that the algorithms which can push certain comments in an arbitrary and oriented manner have not been designed or modified for this purpose. She even has the obligation »former Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton declared in Les Echos on January 8. He seems to have been listened to.
